All Roads Lead to Home
by the mythologist
Summary: Momoi wants what she can't have while Aomine wants the status quo; Kagami wants to shine the brightest while Kuroko simply wants; Takao wants to close his eyes while Midorima wants to understand Momoi's obsession with safaris. It's a good thing all roads lead to home. KagaKuro, MidoTaka, DaiSats. Rated M for naughty boys, language, and sexual themes.
1. Part I

**All Roads Lead to Home**

Momoi wants what she can't have while Aomine wants the status quo; Kagami wants to shine the brightest while Kuroko simply _wants; _Takao wants to close his eyes while Midorima wants to understand Momoi's obsession with safaris. A story of six basketball idiots finally getting what they need and in the process finding their way home.

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**Part I: ****Waiting games (with no end in sight)**

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Taiga knows that it is impossible to win all the time. That is why, fresh after a heart-breaking loss to Touou during their last summer tournament match, he merely nods to Kuroko when Momoi approaches them, biting her lip and asking for a moment of Kuroko's time. He ignores the panic that flashes over his partner's face, knowing that from her angle, Momoi will only see the grim acceptance that settles in its wake. As Kuroko turns to face her, Taiga is surprised to see how much that acceptance looks like defeat.

While Momoi has never made a secret of her feelings, she has also never presented herself seriously, and Taiga wonders what Kuroko will say. He knows, as perhaps only Aomine does, that Kuroko does not return her feelings. But Taiga suspects that deep down Momoi knows as well - why else would she choose to confess at such an inappropriate time? Still, he turns and heads down the hallway, acting as lookout and keep-away for the woman who is poised to take what he can never win.

Every step feels heavy and deliberate, which is par for the course after a game like this. What is new are the thoughts that harry him, reminding him not only of his loss on the court, but off it. Momoi is, while absolutely terrifying, a beautiful, intelligent, and talented woman. She's also Aomine's best friend, and could easily act as a bridge between Kuroko and his old light, working to repair their broken friendship. All these were good things. Kuroko deserved such a woman. If not only for her own merits, than for what she could do for him.

So then why were his thoughts turning dark? Why was his body humming with an anger that he could not simply blame on their loss? Why did he feel so awkward and stupid and slow, like a lumbering, unwelcome giant?

Taiga didn't know, but he suspected that even were he to learn why, it wouldn't change a thing. Momoi would still be Momoi - smart, beautiful, female. Kuroko would still be Kuroko - dedicated, mysterious, male. And Taiga, standing ten feet away with his arms crossed and his back to them, giving them a semblance of privacy even when he felt like the largest idiot in the world...well. He was a lot of things, but never the _right_ thing, and he suspected he never could be.

"Kagamin!"

He spun, so deep in thought that he hadn't heard the sound of her approach. Her face was streaked with tears and the outcome of her interview was obvious, and he racked his brain for something to say. She made his effort moot when without warning, she threw herself at his chest, wrapped her arms around him and sobbed.

Taiga froze, arms outstretched and thick eyebrows drawn together in consternation. Crying women were nearly terrifying as stray dogs, especially when he knew them and they were friends with men as large as him who may very well kill him for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Taiga was also quite kind, and Momoi's shaking shoulders made _him_ want to cry a little, so he cautiously placed a hand on top of her head, and began to pat her gently. He cast around for Kuroko, but the boy must have ducked into an adjoining hallway as he was nowhere in sight. Taiga scowled and fished for his cell phone with his free hand. Once located, it took him longer than he'd like to select Aomine's number. Against him, Momoi's sobs continued, soaking his shirt and washing away the regret he had attempted to stave off. Her sorrow lifted his spirits, and that meant he wasn't a good person, oh no, not at all. Still, he figured holding her offset some of his bad karma, and it was with this in mind that he brought his phone to his ear and waited for the call to connect.

Aomine answered on the third ring, and sounded frazzled. "Little busy here, Bakagami. Whaddya' want?"

Taiga glanced down at the Momoi before responding. "Need you to come find me. You anywhere near the locker rooms?"

"I don't have time for this. I gotta find Satsuki; Coach is going nuts-"

"Dai-chan?" Momoi picked her head up at the sound of her childhood friend's voice. She removed one hand from its iron clutch on Taiga's ribcage to wipe a tear. "Tell him - I need…" she trailed off, eyes watering up again. "_Dai-chan."_

Luckily, Taiga had moved the phone away from his ear, thinking that she wanted to speak to him herself. Aomine had heard enough, and with a muttered _I'll be there in a second,_ he hung up. Taiga exhaled slowly, resuming his awkward reassurances, gradually getting used to the silky smoothness of Momoi's hair, and the press of her forehead against his chest. Yet even as he did so his mind was still a traitor, wondering thoughts like _just where the hell is Kuroko, anyway, _and _would he feel like she does - all thin bones and soft hair and warm skin? _

It was at times like these that he came close to hating himself for wanting something he could never have.

Aomine arrived a few minutes later with none of his customary swagger and shoulders nearly as tense as Momoi's. She was deposited from his arms to Aomine's with no fuss at all, and from the resigned look on his face Taiga judged that there had been another player in this game and he wasn't surprised at the outcome either. With a clipped nod in his direction, Aomine placed an arm around Momoi's shoulders, and with a finesse earned through their long years together, he steered her away. Taiga could barely make out Aomine's low tone at the edges of his hearing, placating her with a gentleness that would have surprised even Kuroko. Speaking of-

Taiga whirled around, convinced that his partner would be standing there, masking his presence in order to shock him. Yet his surprise came from Kuroko's absence, and after a moment of feeling silly, Taiga walked down the hallway, supposing that his friend had made for the locker room.

_"Kagami-kun."_

Even though he had been half expecting it, Taiga still jumped. His ears had tricked him, and for a heart-stopping moment he had thought Kuroko sounded as upset as Momoi. His stomach had lurched at the thought of Kuroko in tears, throwing himself into his arms. Yet his friend was fine, if a little subdued. He simply looked up at him with his big blue eyes, leaving his greeting hanging in the air.

"Is Momoi-san all right? It is good that Aomine-kun came for her. Otherwise I would have asked you to escort her to her team."

Taiga fell into step beside his teammate, hiding how unsettled he felt behind his scowl. "Yeah, yeah. Like I'd be any good at that - could barely make the girl feel any better as it was." He glanced down out of the corner of his eye and internally kicked himself. Kuroko didn't need to hear about _that_, not looking as haggard as he currently did. "It'll be ok. Aomine won't let her mope long." He tried to swallow his next question down but out it came anyway. "So, she finally confessed, huh?"

Kuroko looked down at his hands, so tiny and fine compared to Taiga's. "I told her there was no room in my heart for anything but basketball. I know it is a poor excuse, but I could not tell her the truth."

"That you just don't like her." It wasn't supposed to be a question, but there was a lilt in his voice. It was the only sign of his deeper interest, and veiled well enough that Kuroko didn't catch it.

"I gave her my sincerest apology. I did not wish to hurt her. She is one of my closest friends."

Had he been this roundabout when she had confessed? He couldn't have been - there had only been a minute or two between Momoi asking to borrow Kuroko and her crying on him in the hallway. So he was being vague only with him. For some reason that rankled, and Taiga did not think before he spoke again. "She already knew, you know. Everyone else did. Even _I_ did. Besides, do you really think Aomine didn't warn her?"

Kuroko huffed in annoyance. "Aomine-kun did no such thing. He knows better than to stick his nose into such matters."

Hearing Kuroko's trust in Aomine even after all that had gone wrong between them didn't make him any less annoyed. "I don't know, Kuroko. I think she knew you didn't like her. I think she just wanted to hear your reason why."

Kuroko opened his mouth automatically to argue, but snapped it close immediately. His guilt made Taiga's annoyance fade, and he came dangerously close to ruffling Kuroko's hair just as he had Momoi's. It was only when his arm had actually raised to Kuroko's shoulder level that he caught himself. Kuroko's eyes slid sideways, and words tumbled out of Taiga's mouth in an effort to hide his gesture. "And- and since you gave it to her, you did nothing wrong. It's not your fault. In my opinion. What else could you do? And it's ok that you don't...you know."

It was futile to glean feedback from Kuroko's face, but Taiga tried anyway, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. It could have been his imagination, but something in the air seemed lighter after he spoke, or perhaps Kuroko was an ounce less unhappy. "Thank you, Kagami-kun. Your support means a lot to me."

_Not enough_, Taiga bit down the urge to say. _Rely on me more, need me more, want- _"It's ok. Anyone would say it. Besides, it's not like you have time for relationships anyways. Ignoring the one you already have with basketball."

"...Kagami-kun isn't making much sense."

He knew that, he really did. But now that Kuroko was looking up at him with that glint of barely discernible amusement in his eye and was no longer rigid as a beanpole, Taiga's heart was shamefully light. It kept him talking when it might have been safer to stop. "Yes I am, you just have to pay attention. People like you and me...they call us basketball idiots for a reason. How is our commitment to basketball any different than a relationship? Honestly, I think it's better."

Kuroko raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing.

"It's not like we'd have any time left over, anyway. We spend all our time in school or on the court or at Maji Burger and then she'd get mad 'cuz you didn't have any time for her. Then you'd have the argument about how she should be your most precious thing, and then you'd have to tell her you love basketball more than her, and then she'll cry again-"

"It sounds as if Kagami-kun has personal experience with this. I must admit I am surprised." Surprised and annoyed, if the jumping pulse at his temple was any indication.

Taiga swallowed down his blossoming happiness, cloaking it in his usual awkwardness. Was he jealous? That had sounded an awful lot like jealousy... "Me? No! Like I would ever…! I had to watch Tatsuya go through it a bunch of times. He was as bad as Kise when we were young - he had a new girlfriend every week. I've never...I mean, I never _wanted_ to have that problem."

They were at the locker room now, and behind the doors were the rest of the team, likely wondering what had taken them so long. Or maybe they weren't wondering that at all, knowing that the Generation of Miracles did everything in their own time, and that the Seirin stars were usually swept up in their pace. Either way, Kuroko hesitated before pushing through the doors, fixing Taiga with a sharp glance and a sly little smile. "I see. But...perhaps you are correct. If so, it may be counter-productive to have both a 'most important person' as well as a 'light.' I will keep this in mind the next time someone tries to confess their love for me. Perhaps you should do the same?" Without waiting for Taiga's response, he pushed through the double doors, leaving behind his stunned partner.

Taiga closed his mouth with an audible _snap._ Had he just...was that…? Shaking his head violently, he put aside any and all thoughts of potential flirtatious parting statements, and went in after his shadow.

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"Who needs those Touou bastards, am I right? They're all a bunch of lousy homos anyway."

Tetsuya's gaze lifted to his classmate, the ignorant, loud spoken Matsumoto-san. He stood over the side of Kagami-kun's desk, and Tetsuya was surprised to see that there was no malice on his face. Apparently, this was his awkward way of comforting Kagami-kun for their team's loss. That being said, the content of his method was unacceptable, and Tetsuya was going to have to take a stand-

Yet Kagami-kun got there first. "What the…? No one on Touou swings that way. And even if they did...who the fuck cares? We're there to play basketball, not blow kisses." Kagami-kun rolled his shoulders, and fixed Matsumoto-san with that unconsciously intimidating stare of his, the one that never failed to turn Tetsuya's bones to jelly and make his mind a riotous mess.

Matsumoto-san smiled nervously and glanced around, checking whether anyone had heard Kagami-kun set him down. Judging by the way the gaggle of girls to his left whipped their heads away when he glanced at them, they had. He flushed, and his embarrassment made him foolish. "You don't think it's disgusting? Playing with a guy who likes _men?_ That's gross, Kagami-kun. Or is that how things work in America?"

Tetsuya stopped breathing. Everything in the world mattered on Kagami-kun's response, and he strained his ears in the silence between Matsumoto-san's question and Kagami-kun's answer.

"Man, what's your problem? I don't know what you think about America, but you're wrong. And look - there's nothing wrong with being gay. My best friend from home is gay, and we've played basketball together hundreds of times, and no, it was never disgusting. Basketball is basketball, Matsumoto. Being gay has nothing to do with it."

Kagami-kun's words echoed in his mind like a song stuck on repeat: _there's nothing wrong with being gay...no, it was never disgusting._..

Finally recognizing the dangers of arguing with someone who was thrice his size, Matsumoto-san beat a hasty retreat, glancing over at the girls who now stared at Kagami-kun with open admiration. Tetsuya would worry about them later, but for now his heart was exploding and he was dangerously close to broadcasting his emotions for the entire world to see. He took several deep breaths; closing his eyes and willing his heart to calm down.

"You doing ok?"

Any attempt at achieving inner calm was undone when his eyes flew open and he realized that Kagami-kun had twisted in his seat and was watching him with a cautious look in his eye. His heart sputtered against his ribcage and his unreadable facade was dangerously close to slipping, yet his mouth would just not stay closed. "I was merely impressed with my light. It seems Kagami-kun is quite tolerant. As expected of an ex-American...and my partner." And then, because the corner of his lip had started to twitch into a smile, he continued. "It is likely the reason my Teikou teammates haven't driven you insane. To be fair, that applies also to Takao-san, and...ah. Himuro-san." His eyes flicked down to the ring hanging around Kagami-kun's neck. "If I may be so bold as to ask…"

Kagami-kun's eyes dropped from his face to his ring before he caught the drift of Tetsuya's question. "Would it matter to you? I mean, would you think less of him if he were?"

_It absolutely matters to me. You wear his ring around his neck, and if it is something other than a mark of your brotherhood I will never, ever forgive him and quite possibly you as well. _"Of course not. I happen to agree with you. One's sexual preference doesn't matter in the slightest, especially on the basketball court."

Kagami-kun watched him closely for a moment more before dropping his gaze and leaning in slightly, to ensure they wouldn't be overheard. "Yeah. You know, I figured you would be ok with it. He's just like Kise, yeah? What, with dating all the girls before they figured it out...man, it was stressful just to _watch._ It was kind of a relief when he finally came out as bi-sexual. At least his girls stopped hounding _me_ asking what they were doing wrong."

"Was that when you exchanged rings?" Tetsuya tried to keep the frost out of his voice but from the way Kagami-kun stilled, he was not entirely successful.

"No, that was a year or two later. But why-" He cut himself off, comprehension dawning. Tetsuya adopted his sternest poker face, not realizing that in doing so he made himself look disapproving. "No, Kuroko. You've got the wrong idea. Tatsuya and I aren't like that. We're practically brothers, for god's sake! He didn't- I never- _no_. Even though he likes men, I'm not his cup of whisky, or however the saying goes. And he's not mine, either."

The mental image of Kagami-kun delicately sipping from a teacup of whisky was delightfully ridiculous and worked wonders on improving Tetsuya's mood. At least, that was what he told himself. Hearing Kagami-kun announce his disinterest - _but he wasn't even gay there would be no interest in the first place get it together Tetsuya - _certainly hadn't helped that. That would make him a bad person. "Tea, Kagami-kun. I believe the saying references a cup of tea."

"Whatever. You know what I'm saying, right?" Kagami-kun's eyes searched his, and Tetsuya felt heat creep up his neck. Did Kagami-kun have to look with such focused concentration, as if Tetsuya were the only object of importance in the world? He was used to such looks on the court, as basketball _was_ the most important thing in the world. But receiving them in social situations made him _weak._

He took a moment to regain his composure before responding. "I believe so. Regardless, _that_ is a matter best left between Himuro-san and yourself." _And possibly Murasakibara-kun, who - according to Midorima-kun - gnaws on the poor boy like he's one of his treats. _"I shouldn't have pried - I apologize."

"It's not prying. Not coming from you." Kagami-kun mumbled, but not well enough - Tetsuya heard every word and for the third time that conversation his heart soared. "Couldn't keep much from you anyway, with you being my shadow and all." He leaned back and grinned. "He's like my Aomine, yeah? Except we were in America, and more like brothers, and he didn't go all power crazy...and ok, maybe not so much like you and Ahomine, but do you get what I'm saying?"

Tetsuya bit his tongue. He had been more than a little in love with Aomine-kun, although nothing had happened, and that infatuation had long run its course. But Kagami-kun didn't know that, and as such, he should take the assurance at face value. "If you say so, Kagami-kun. However, I would advise turning around now, as the teacher is waiting for you to begin class."

Teasing him was always worth it, Tetsuya decided as Kagami-kun flushed to the tips of his ears, only just realizing the entire class was staring at him. _I hate you_, he mouthed.

Tetsuya waited until Kagami-kun's back was to him before he mouthed his reply.

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Her name was Mamoru-san, and she was one of the young ladies who had overheard Kagami-kun's liberal opinions on homosexuals. She had clutched at his shirtsleeve when the class broke for lunch, and had blushingly - charmingly - asked him to meet her at last bell. Tetsuya's heart sank, although he knew at the outset what Kagami-kun's answer would be. He also wondered at the coincidence of them both being confessed to within the same week.

He didn't eavesdrop, even though he was fairly sure he could get away with it. Hiding his presence wasn't just useful on the court, after all. No, he stayed away because he wanted to do that much for Kagami-kun, and he did not wish to disrespect the girl, even if he was wildly jealous of her.

His resolve wasn't of much use when Mamoru-san decided to confess directly in front of the gymnasium windows, however. Koganei-sempai was the one to notice it first. "Ahhhh, how lucky! Someone's confessing to Kagami! And just look at how cute she is!"

That sparked the whole team's interest, and even the coach turned to stare at the unlikely couple. Not everyone was happy for him, however. Hyuuga-sempai ground his jaw so loudly that the two nearest to him - Izuki-sempai and Kiyoshi-sempai - stepped away and cast concerned glances in his direction. Furihata-kun mumbled something about _idiots getting all the luck_ and Tetsuya was obviously quite miffed, but that was all the energy he was prepared to waste on auxiliary concerns. More importantly, with the whole team watching he was free to observe Kagami-kun's reaction to Mamoru-san's confession.

So far, it encompassed a steadfast stare at the ground, pawing the back of his neck, and turning the color of a ripe tomato. Only once did he look up, as if surprised by something she had said. Yet as soon as their gazes met he looked back down again, and Tetsuya couldn't determine whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. For all he knew, Mamoru-san - who was a nice girl, all things considered - wasn't asking him out at all. Perhaps she was telling him that she understood his commitment to basketball, and would wait for him, and wanted him simply to be aware of her. If that were the case, Mamoru-san would prove herself smarter than 90% of her classmates, and even Momoi-san. (While he cared for deeply and respected her uncanny skills as an analyst, he regretted the fact that she couldn't read the situation between the two of them to save her life.)

It didn't matter, of course. Kagami-kun's refusal was obvious, and the team collectively sighed. Several of the upperclassman muttered about bakagami's idiocy for turning down such a cute girl, but for the most part no one expected him to do any differently. He was their beloved basketball idiot, as Kagami-kun had said the night of Momoi's confession. It would have been disconcerting had he reacted any other way.

Although he knew it made him a bad partner, teammate, and friend, all Tetsuya could feel was relief. He spent the rest of practice berating himself for harboring such ugly hopes - that Kagami-kun would never love anyone, that he'd be single forever, that the only close relationships he'd have were with Himuro-san and himself. It was better than reflecting on his own feelings, however. Hopelessness had never become him, and he was clear-sighted enough to accept that he could never be more than Kagami-kun's shadow. Yet even that was better than simply being a teammate, or a friend. As it was, he was something irreplaceable, and he was far too afraid of losing him to push for anything more - especially when a happy end result was unlikely in their current situation.

He was not made of stone, however. Flirting with Kagami-kun had occasionally been inevitable, especially after Momoi's confession, and at the close of their discussion today. As long as he kept it light and teasing he figured it would be ok. After all, Kagami-kun took the Generation of Miracle's strangeness in stride, and Tetsuya prided himself on being the most normal of the bunch. But he'd have to be more careful now that he knew Kagami-kun had experience with other gay men...and one who potentially (_oh screw potentially Himuro-san gave him a _ring_ and even if Kagami-kun was too innocent to see the implications of that Tetsuya certainly was not)_ had feelings for him.

It was at a break during their practice that Kiyoshi-senpai passed Kagami-kun the water bottleand winked. "So, Kagami-kun. I think you are getting a little bit more popular these days, don't you agree?"

Kagami-kun glanced over at him, eyes wide with confusion. "Huh? I don't think that is true...what do you mean?" He winced. "If you're talking about Kise's emails, I don't answer them, so I don't think that counts."

Tetsuya was going to send Kise-kun some threatening emails of his own when practice was over. For the time being, however, Kiyoshi-senpai simply chuckled and patted Kagami-kun's shoulder. "Now, now...it's good to make friends, Kagami-kun. But what I was referring to was the lovely lady who confessed to you today! It's never good to brag, but dating someone cute is every high schooler's dream, no? You certainly don't have to hold yourself back just because of us dateless fools, you know." Kiyoshi-senpai's eyes cut over to Hyuuga-senpai, currently talking animatedly with Aida-senpai. "Especially when some of the fools deny themselves on purpose."

It was something Kiyoshi-senpai would never have said to anyone discerning, and if he had realized Tetsuya was in earshot he may not have spoken so freely. Yet Kagami-kun reacted just as Kiyoshi-senpai wanted, and caught only that which pertained to him. His embarrassment wasn't as severe as it had been when speaking with Mamoru-san, but it was still noticeable. "I- that wasn't…! It wasn't a confession, Kiyoshi-senpai. It was something else."

Tetsuya's eyebrows drew together in indignation. Lying to oneself was one thing, but lying to their senpai was something else entirely. Especially Kiyoshi-senpai, who Tetsuya privately suspected knew everything...like a genial Akashi-kun with better eyebrows.

"So it wasn't a confession of love? What else could it be?"

Kagami-kun's eyes cast around wildly, hesitating on Tetsuya before snapping back to Kiyoshi-senpai. "She simply…" He swallowed. "She offered her support. She knew how I... Look, she just said she'd be my friend. It wasn't anything like _that._"

Kiyoshi-senpai laughed and Tetsuya's eyebrows crinkled in annoyance. "Baby steps, Kagami-kun. We'll see you in love before we graduate!"

Aida-senpai blew her whistle, cutting them off and beginning the second half of practice. Tetsuya was thankful, as there was no time to feel sorry for himself, or formulate plans of revenge on Kiyoshi-senpai for daring to interfere with Kagami-kun's love life. There was also no time to look at Kagami-kun. This was an excellent thing, as Tetsuya currently did not trust himself to keep from ignite passing the ball directly into Kagami's midsection.

_This was why teenage boys shouldn't fall in love_, he told himself, lying facedown on the floor at the end of practice._ Because we're all complete idiots._

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**Part 1 of 4 in the What I Do Instead of Working (At Work) series. Blech. Next up is Midorima and Takao, in a slightly shorter yet more amusing chapter. R&R!**


	2. Part II

**Part II: ****Hunter, hunted, hawk: An in-depth look at Midorima Shintarou's worst Friday ever.**

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Midorima Shintarou stared down at the girl in front of him, wondering why Oha Asa had betrayed him. For nothing short of betrayal could merit Momoi Satsuki in front of him, wringing her hands and looking up at him with tear-filled eyes that could only serve to mask her innate deviousness on a day when Oha Asa had assured him that nothing out of the ordinary would happen. He glanced around discreetly, checking for hiding places that either Takao or Aomine could utilize. This had to be one of their doings. No one else would play a trick on him, but to go this far…? Had the two of them no shame?

"Midorin...I know it's unexpected, but I didn't know where else to go! I didn't know what else to do! No one else has been through what we have!"

For a horrifying moment he assumed she referred to the tea ceremony, and wondered just what she had done wrong to arrive in such a state.

"And I know you'd never speak of it willingly, but I have to know - how do you deal with it? Loving someone for so long and then realizing you never stood a chance?"

Perhaps she had used the thick tea instead of the thin, or- _wait a goddamn minute here._

"I know that you've moved on. You seem so _happy_ now. So...how long does it take to be like that? How hard do you have to work to forget?"

By this point, he was making noises akin to strangled puppies, and it caught even Momoi's attention. She paused in her diatribe, noting with particular tact, "Midorin? Why is your face turning white?"

It was too much. He _knew_ this was a prank, knew it with the same certainty he invested in Oha Asa's omniscience. Yet he was ill-equipped to handle crying women at the best of times, and now she was looking up at him with trust and concern. What he had assumed was merely Takao at his most infantile was beginning to solidify in his mind, and with sinking horror he realized that she, at least, was serious. This didn't help his ability to articulate his concerns.

"Really, Midorin. Deep breaths. We're going to get through this together."

Cancer had ranked eighth today, yet even had it ranked last it should not merit this. He was in shock, unable to breathe, incredibly confused, and when faced with all this Momoi had apparently become a pregnancy counselor. It was only the lingering thought of Takao's laughing face that allowed Shintarou to wheeze out the most pressing of his concerns. "Just _who_ was I in love with?"

Momoi's face was the picture of concerned innocence when she promptly responded, "Why, Akashi-kun of course!"

Enough was enough. Shintarou's beleaguered consciousness could take no more, and it folded inwards, closely followed by his knees.

"Midorin!"

There was just enough time to mourn the unopened, unenjoyed can of shiruko in his bag before his vision went hazy, and he passed out.

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Shintarou woke an indeterminate amount of time later, sensing that he was now somewhere darker and cooler. Yet from the woody smell he deduced he had not been taken to the hospital. In fact, unless he was very mistaken, he had simply been moved to the gymnastic club's storage closet, and his hypothesis that this was all one of Takao's jokes was now proven wrong. Takao knew better than to assume Shintarou would allow him to live after pulling a stunt like this. No, this had to be all Aomine's fault, and as soon as Shintarou got ahold of Akashi - _who he was not in love with, had never _been_ in love with and Oha Asa strike whomever thought so down-_ Aomine would be living no longer.

"Shin-chan! _What did you do to him?" _

Shintarou was suddenly glad he had left his eyes closed when discerning where he was, and then in plotting Aomine's demise. It allowed him to hide his surprise. While Takao's voice was unmistakable, Shintarou had never heard that particular edge to it. This Takao sounded dangerous, and it was a far cry from the easygoing, 'high spec boyfriend' that all the girls in their class sighed over. That he would react this way confused him, and flustered Momoi.

"I don't know, Takao-kun! We were talking, and then he started turning pale and _swaying_ and then suddenly he hit the deck like a tranquilized elephant on the plains of the Serengeti!"

That was far too specific, surely. Unless Momoi had a secret love of safaris? Also, he would vastly prefer to be compared to a more graceful animal, like a gazelle, or even a giraffe. An elephant was something no self-respecting Japanese male would aspire to. When he roused himself, he was going to be so upset about all this.

"Shin-chan does not just pass out, no matter how sensitive he is. You must have said something!"

_Sensitive? Well, I never._

"Well…" The situation must have belatedly caught up to Momoi, as Shintarou could hear the hesitation in her voice. "I might have reminded him of something upsetting, but it shouldn't be enough to make him faint! I just asked him how he got over Akashi-kun. That was all!"

Upon further reflection, maybe he could just stay here, unconscious and in the equipment closet for the rest of his life. Surely it was better than the alternative. _Surely. _

"Akashi-san._"_

"Yes."

"Shin-chan...got over..._Akashi-san_."

Momoi's tone more accurately reflected that of a parent speaking to a very young child rather than a teenage girl to a teenage boy. "Yes."

Takao exhaled, and from the sound of it, it was through his teeth. "Are you implying that _he_ and Shin-chan...were in a _relationship_?"

"Oh, no. Of course not."

Takao's relieved sigh was cut short. "Really, Momoi-san, you should know better-"

"Midorin _was_ in love with him though."

Silence fell, and it was the kind of silence that made Shintarou wish he had never been born. It was sufficiently awkward enough to keep him feigning sleep, as even though the idea of him ever loving anyone - _especially_ Akashi - was ludicrous, Momoi had already made him inexplicably black out once today and he had no desire to repeat the experience.

(_Also, the thought of seeing Takao right now made his lungs constrict and his heart pound. Even his skin felt too tight, and it was only his iron will that kept him from panicking. Clearly, he was suffering from some medical malady he'd never heard of, and in order to keep from spreading it throughout the team he must keep his distance from Takao, effective immediately. Clearly.)_

"You're lying. Shin-chan wasn't...he wouldn't like…"

Momoi huffed. "It was a long time ago, Takao-kun; you didn't know him then. And believe me, _I _know these things. Data analyst, remember? Midorin followed him around like a lost puppy, and devoted every single lunch break to shogi, or meetings, or whatever Akashi-san wanted to do. And you never saw the way Midorin _looked_ at him - like he was the only thing in the world worth looking at. And-"

She was interrupted by a loud _bang_, as if Takao had punched the wall. The suddenness of it made Shintarou's breath catch in his throat. Yet if either had noticed, they gave no sign.

Takao spoke like an angry, dying man that Shintarou had seen on a television show once. "Stop. Shut _up. _Did he _say_ that he loved him? Did he _tell_ you?"

"No, but...Takao-kun, it was obvious. I'm _sorry_. But everyone knew! Even Akashi-kun referenced it once."

Hearing that made his blood run cold. The worst part of all this was that Shintarou really _hadn't_ been in love with Akashi. He had respected him, followed his orders without question, and even considered them friends once, but it had never been anything more than that. Yet even Akashi-kun had thought he had been in love with him? And spoke of his fallacious assumptions? It was an overwhelming sense of injustice - coupled with frigid humiliation - that prompted him to finally take charge of this situation. He had heard _quite_ enough, and no matter how embarrassing it would be to become an active participant in this group discussion, he was leaving. Now.

Without warning, he opened his eyes and rose to a seated position, grimly pleased that there was no moment of weakness or wooziness to slow his retreat. He would have taken even more pleasure in Takao and Momoi's horror if he weren't currently so mortified.

"Shin-chan-"

"Midorin! You're awake!"

Shintarou held up a hand before Takao or Momoi could come any closer. He kept his gaze fixed upon the door so that he would not have to look at either of them. "Yes, I am indeed awake. I have been so for quite some time, but I have reached my limit for senseless drivel. Now if you will excuse me, I have a phone call to make. In fact, I have _several._"

"But Midorin, we should make sure you're all right-"

Shintarou used his left hand to concurrently fix his glasses and hide his expression. He could feel the heat of Takao's stare yet there was nothing on earth that would tempt him to look at his partner right now. Especially when he had been told such lies, and apparently believed him. Later, he would think about it and figure out what on Oha Asa's name it all meant. For now...for now he simply needed to escape. "No, Momoi. To insist upon the veracity of something without any proof is foolishness, and I have no more time to waste on _that._ Please refrain from spreading any more _lies_ in the future. Good bye."

"_Shin-chan, wait-"_

Panic fueling his veins, Shintarou ignored his partner and hustled out the door. Yet it didn't stop there - as soon as the door closed behind him, he broke out into a run, ignoring school rules and his personal strictures on decorum. Madness. This was utter madness, and he was reacting in all the wrong ways. So what if Momoi thought he had liked Akashi? So what if _Akashi_ thought he liked Akashi? Even if Momoi hadn't simply been making all that up, those days were over and done with, and such misunderstandings happened, even to people like him. After all, his best only encompassed his own actions, not the thoughts and feelings of others. Yes, he was completely correct. Therefore, he shouldn't care at all.

_Yet Takao thought he liked Akashi._

That should matter least of all. Who cared what his frie-teammat- _servant _thought? Certainly not this Midorima Shintarou. Not at _all. _So then...why did the thought of seeing Takao make his heart race and his legs run faster? Why did the thought of Takao laboring under this lamentable misapprehension make his breath catch in his throat and his mind go blank with anger and fear?

He suspected it was connected to his earlier sickness, when hearing Takao's worry had made his skin contract over his bones and his lungs tighten. It must be that he was sick. _That_ would explain his ignoble reaction to Momoi's immature prank. Yes, that was it. He was ill, and he merely needed to go home and sleep it all off. He _had_ been overworking himself as of late - passing out in the school courtyard proved it - and he needed to get some rest. After a good night's sleep, tomorrow would be back to normal.

Right?

…

…

…

…

...

The hawkeye had been in Takao's family for as long as anyone could remember. It came from his mother, who had always been able to spot those sensational deals while shopping, and selecting just the right shade carpet and drapes to set off the living room to perfection. His little sister had inherited it as well, and was currently displaying an attention to color and detail that was astounding in a five year-old. Kazunari had come into it by his second year of middle school, just in time to gain the advantage when playing his friends in video games, and of course on the basketball court.

Then he had met Shin-chan.

Not that he was Shin-chan _then. _Then he was simply Midorima, the shooting guard of the Generation of Miracles, and caster of the shadow that lay over Takao's middle school basketball career. He was also the catalyst for the greatest resolve of Kazunari's life - and was the only person he had ever _wanted_ to defeat. Of course, Kazunari had been beside himself when he had spotted Midorima on the first day of tryouts. Yet he was not the type of person to lay down and accept defeat, so he had laughed, bucked up, and formed a new resolution. _I'll make you recognize me even if I die trying_, he had promised himself.

Yet in the meantime, he couldn't help but notice the guy was socially a bit..._off_. At the start he'd had no plan beyond deal with the man for team cohesion, but little by little he had realized that Shin-chan's lucky items were a grown man's safety blanket, and that his arrogance was well-earned. And once Kazunari began respecting him, the half-hearted barriers he'd erected to tamp down his natural kindness came tumbling down. Kazunari began to laugh at Shin-chan's accidental 'jokes,' and once he started he just couldn't stop. The man was just so ridiculous and earnest and adorable, and eventually he couldn't help but notice how all of his teammate's idiosyncrasies came together and somehow made him a person that Kazunari honestly liked. Yet by the time he realized that Shin-chan had inexplicably become his best friend, he also realized that Shin-chan had noticed _him. _

On the court it was a straightforward story and ultimately one of victory by degrees: beating out the upperclassman for the starting point guard position; their fifth victory together; the first time Shin-chan had allowed him to see his emotions. They had moved smoothly and steadily towards cohesion, and _especially _after their first loss - in a practice game to Seirin - Shin-chan really began to acknowledge not only him, but the team as well.

Yet the social conquest had started so slowly and imperceptibly that even with the hawkeye he had not caught it. By the time he realized it, Shin-chan no longer shifted away from his teasing, willingly spent lunch hours and days off together, and stoicly let Kazunari hang off him like a monkey on a tree. Days would go by without Shin-chan requiring the rickshaw, and although he still made the point guard carry his lucky items when they were too bulky or inconvenient, he had made it clear that Kazunari was the _only_ person besides himself that he trusted to handle them.

So there came a day when Kazunari woke up and realized he was probably Shin-chan's best friend. Yet he had a passing acquaintance with the scientific method, and knew that the answer could only be found when looking at the entire picture, not simply facets of it. Even though Shin-chan seemed to like him well enough on the court and when the weather between them was fair, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't fall apart during their first fight. Perhaps Shin-chan was simply putting up with him, and didn't really consider him his friend after all? Yet his theory was proven when one day in a rare fit of pique, Kazunari had sarcastically called him Midorima-_san_. The subsequent look on Shin-chan's face had not only chased away all his anger, but made him frantically promise never to call him that again: there had been guilt and self-loathing and even a flash of fear, as if he worried Kazunari wouldn't forgive him, or that his point guard might actually _leave_ him. The expression nearly made Kazunari swallow his tongue. It was bad enough to see how much he'd scared Shin-chan - his unflappable, tsundere, proud Shin-chan - but it was worse to realize that in doing so he'd scared himself much more.

It had been this instance that had (finally) shown him just how much he relied on Shin-chan, and from there it hadn't taken too long to realize that 'relied on' was perhaps not the best way of phrasing it. 'In love with' would have been far more accurate.

The thing about hawkeye was that even while useful, it could be extremely selective. After Kazunari realized his feelings, his ability became a homing device and he could have accurately related Shin-chan's position within fifty yards. While this was undeniably useful on the court - the new third years had already made allusions to magic and blood rituals and how as long as it brought them victory they certainly weren't going to judge them - it was more than a little frustrating off of it. Knowing exactly how close the girls in his class leaned into Shin-chan when talking to him, fluttering their eyelashes and dipping to display cleavage was a practice in patience and not giving into unfamiliar jealousy, and that it happened stupidly often drove Kazunari nearly insane. He had never _liked_ someone before, or at least, not like this. That it was someone who was still so far above him, even if he seemed to enjoy Kazunari's company enough to surprise even himself wasn't any better. He had set himself up for heartbreak, and even with hawkeyes wide open, he wasn't ready to come crashing down to the ground.

So today, Shin-chan did it for him. It took Momoi ten minutes to get his number (from Kise, who ended up getting it from Kagami whom Kazunari had run into once at the grocery store and had sent him a recipe for white miso that had made his father weep tears of joy) and text him that Midorin had collapsed and that she'd moved him to a gym closet and could he come please because Midorin would kill her if she called the hospital but she was also not strong enough to carry him home. After that Kazunari couldn't accurately say what had happened next, as everything went a little fuzzy upon reading the text. The next thing he knew was that Shin-chan was laying out on the floor, Momoi looked a little like it was her fault, and Kazunari was laying into her with an embarrassing lack of cool. He couldn't help himself. Shin-chan was just so _sensitive_ and awful with girls, even ones who were teammates by proxy. And now, unconscious. _Unconscious._

And when he thought it couldn't get any worse, she had dropped the bomb. Akashi. Motherfucking Akashi Seijuurou. The evil bastard who had not only mindfucked every member of his team but had laughed while doing it. And Shin-chan had liked him? _Loved_ him? God, he knew that Shin-chan had a mental block a mile wide because of him, but he hadn't even admitted to being _friends_ with the guy. Admittedly, Takao knew there was a world of difference between friends and hopeless one-sided infatuation, although this was not the moment to be fair. This was the moment to boggle in horror at Shin-chan's terrible taste, and try not to break under the knowledge that Takao would never, _could_ never be like Akashi I Hate You All And Apparently Your Parents Too Seijuurou.

Yet this level of coherency was not achieved until much later, and Shin-chan had torn out of the closet like a bat out of hell, moving as quickly as he had that one time Takao had tricked him into thinking Oha Asa had gone on the air and mixed up the fortunes for Gemini and Cancer. Even at a time like this, when his heart was fracturing under the strain and his mind was in tumult, his hawkeye caught the stain of color suffusing Shin-chan's face, and the unyielding line of his mouth. Coupled with the fact that Shin-chan had ignored his attempts to reach out to him, and ran off down the hall like his house was on fire, Kazunari could only assume the worst. Of course, Shin-chan was eccentric and emotionally stunted at the best of times, but showing his emotions was something reserved for hitting rock bottom. Even his comment about Momoi's lies could easily be construed as an effort to save face.

Therefore, all signs pointed to Shin-chan's having feelings for his former captain. Seeing as how Kazunari couldn't stop loving his ace even if he tried - and oh, he had tried pretty damn hard during the early days - this resulted in them both being utterly screwed.

Personally, Kazunari blamed the hawkeye.

…

…

…

Practice that day was cancelled, largely as half the team was laid low by the flu. Although Kazunari practiced by himself for an hour, Shin-chan did not join him as he usually would, for the obvious reasons of humiliation, presumable rage, and wanting to avoid the hell out of his partner. Kazunari tried to tell himself not to be hurt. Shin-chan was a delicate flower, and it only made sense that he'd need some time to recover the loss of his secret. So Kazunari would be understanding, and give him 24 hours. If he hadn't contacted him by then, he was going after him...just to make sure he hadn't done something drastic like drop out of school.

(Ok, and possibly to shake some sense into him but that was _only_ if Shin-chan hadn't gotten over it by then. Really.)

It was on his way home that he ran into Miyaji-senpai, hovering outside of some idol shop that he had once attempted to get Shin-chan to enter as a dare. "Hey, Miyaji-senpai. Checking out a gift for your _girl_friend?" Kazunari grinned wickedly. Hey, even though he was upset didn't mean he couldn't poke fun at unrelated people! It would make him feel better, especially as there were no present pineapples for Miyaji-senpai to launch at him.

Miyaji-senpai sighed as he turned, yet double-took when he saw Kazunari was alone. "Ahh, hey. Shut the fuck up, you brat. Where's Midorima?"

Kazunari tried not to wince. For Miyaji to cut short his diatribe in favor of asking where Shin-chan was meant that he and his ace were considered inseparable, and the fact that it wasn't so just made him feel lonelier. Still, Miyaji-senpai didn't want to know how upset he actually was, so he clothed his reply in a healthy coating of sarcasm. "He went home early today. And yes, before you ask, I'm extremely lonely. I was just on my way home to weep, actually. Care to join me?"

Shuutoku's old small forward snorted. "You're a little snake, Takao. Is everything a joke with you? Break ups are a serious business, especially when you're both on the same goddamn team. And- oh shit. Takao, I was just kidding!"

Kazunari's mask had slipped as soon as Miyaji-senpai calmly brought up the notion of them breaking up. Yet by the time he had asserted it was only a joke it was too late. Kazunari's eyes were wide, his face was pale, and his fear was evident. Damn, he must be more upset than he thought if his laughing facade was broken so easily!

"Oh my god. Did you seriously break up? Someone give me a pineapple, I can't take this!" Miyaji-senpai wore an expression somewhere between annoyance, guilt, and amazement, and it was Kazunari's last straw. Out of all his conflicting emotions, none of them were surprise - did that mean he had always thought they were a thing? Had the whole team thought they were together? "Seriously Takao, if this is one of your jokes, I will run you over with the closest truck…!"

When Miyaji-senpai got wound up like this, it took a lot of effort to calm him down. He had to step in before it got any worse. "No, Miyaji-senpai, we didn't break up. We were never together. We just...got in a little fight. Kind of. I think."

Miyaji-senpai's eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you _sure_ you didn't break up? Because I do not want to hear about it if you did."

"_No,_ senpai. Shin-chan and I were never together. Calm down."

After muttering something that sounded suspiciously like _hell yes Ootsubo owes me 20 bucks_ Miyaji-senpai slung an arm around Kazunari, and began steering him into the nearest coffeeshop. "Ahh, so Midorima's crazy finally got to you, huh? In that case, tell me all about it. Senpai will listen to your woes, and treat you to a cup of coffee. Sound good?"

Kazunari eyed his upperclassman suspiciously. Ignoring the jibe about his secret love's eccentricities, he asked, "You aren't doing this only because you know how girls love it when two hot guys have coffee together, are you?"

"How did you know?"

Kazunari face palmed. Well, at least he'd get some free coffee…

…

Twenty minutes later, Miyaji-senpai sat across the table from him, head in his hands. Kazunari wrapped up his retelling of the last day - leaving out only the identity of Shin-chan's previous love - with his usual dramatic flair. "...and then Shin-chan took off, never to be seen again. Well. That was my Friday. How was yours?"

Miyaji mumbled something into his palms, but all Kazunari could make out was _hellhole, pineapple fields, and fuck you, Ootsubo. _ Kazunari eyed him warily, on the off-chance the upperclassman turned violent and dashed him in the face with coffee. "Senpai?"

"Let it be known: I hate the both of you. Also, you do realize that you just admitted to being in love with frigging _Midorima_, yeah?

"Well, it's not like you're going to tell him."

Miyaji-senpai groaned, catching the attention of all young ladies in a ten meter radius, and noticing none of them. "Why did I agree to this?"

"Because girls are eyeing you up, senpai. Let's not lie to ourselves."

Miyaji-senpai straightened immediately, flashing his attempt at a handsome grin. "You're _right._ Ok. So you're in love with-" _clench, grind, squint- "him. _And you really didn't get it until about a month ago? 'Cuz Ootsubo put out money on you guys secretly dating just before our last - well, your first - Winter Cup. You're telling me that all this time your interactions have been _platonic?"_

Ok, so he maybe was a bit more touchy than was normal. Jumping on Shin-chan's back and demanding piggy-back rides was probably not the smartest decision. Nor was pairing up for every drill, faux-flirting all the while. Not to mention all those lunches and break periods spent together, and sleepovers spent watching Shuutoku's and all the other Generation of Miracle teams' taped games. In hindsight, he was a total idiot and probably should have realized his feelings sooner. "Yes. Technically it still is. But now we're not even that because Shin-chan may hate me."

"Please. He couldn't hate you if he tried. Who the hell else will talk to him? Besides, this all happened less than five hours ago. I'm sure by tomorrow it will have all blown over. If not, I will come and throw pineapples at him until he gets over it. Shuutoku needs you guys at your best, even if the next tournament isn't for a couple of months."

Kazunari nodded and took a sip of his drink. He had worried about how Shin-chan would react on Monday when practice resumed, but deep down he suspected that the ace would be there performing at his usual level, no matter his own personal upheavals. It was that part of him that had first garnered Kazunari's respect, after all, even before his thoughts had turned to friendship. "Thanks, senpai. I'm sure it will be fine...but the team would probably thank you anyway."

"Of course they would. But seriously now - what are you going to do about this in the long term? Even though Midorima is straight up insane, there's no guarantee you'll ever win him over. Love is kinda' tricky like that, you know? Are you prepared to give up on him in the future if he never looks your way?"

Kazunari said nothing, content to swirl the liquid in his cup. These were all things he'd thought about, but he'd shied away from making a conclusive decision. So he fobbed Miyaji-senpai off with the only obvious reasonings he could. "If Shin-chan is straight then of course nothing will happen. I'm not going to do anything _bad_, senpai. Honestly. What do you think of me? If he's even a little open to it though…" He sighed. "Then I'm going to try."

"Even though you're both men and Japan frowns upon that sort of thing?"

"Yep."

"Even though his family is pretty traditional and you both could get in serious trouble over this?"

Kazunari hesitated, but his answer was firm. "My family would support me. They're open about how liberal they are, and made it clear they just want me and my sister to be happy. So if it came down to it, they'd just have to support him too. _If_ he wants it, that is. It's not just up to me."

"I wonder…" Miyaji-senpai watched him with a thoughtful look in his eye. "Ootsubo always kind of figured you held a lot more power over him than the rest of the team would have guessed. Then again, he figured you two were dating, but at least with you he wasn't so far off. I guess what I'm trying to say is to be careful. You're all he's got, Takao. Who knows what he'll do to keep you?"

_Not enough,_ Kazunari thought. _Especially when it includes running away instead of trusting me. _It was painful to think of _that_ yet it was the thought of Akashi-san that gave him confidence. "I don't think you need to worry about that, senpai. Shin-chan is a lot stronger than you know. He wouldn't stick with someone who was wrong for him, even if he has nothing else. Otherwise he wouldn't have chosen Shuutoku for his school, and would have followed Akashi-san to Rakuzan."

Miyaji-senpai nodded slowly, as Midorima had told the entire team a bit about their opponent and their history before they had faced them. "I see your point. Well, in that case there's only one thing to do."

He knew he shouldn't ask, but the man _had_ bought him a cup of coffee and listened to his woes. "And what is that?"

"Point me in the direction of the nearest first year, and then hand me a pineapple. I'm feeling _violent."_

"Is that going to solve my problem?"

"No, but it's going to work wonders in improving my mood."

Well, he had always loved a good pineapple throw. Besides, chasing down Kimura would give him something to do, other than worry about Shin-chan. "All right, senpai. Let's go."

…

…

…

…

…

**I think that Ootsubo and Kiyoshi (from Seirin) would be total bros together. Izuki too, actually. Maybe someday that broship will sail, but today is not that day. **

…

** This was originally a lot shorter, and Miyaji-less. You may thank an excruciatingly slow day at work for this, if you enjoyed that particular section. **

…

**Next up is Kagami and Kuroko again, and the second half will be (spoiler alert) NSFW. ****(¬‿¬)**

**... **

**R&R!**


	3. Part III

**Part III: ****Bright lights (and steadfast shadows)**

**...**

**...**

**...**

"But I don't _like_ red miso!"

Taiga had been perusing the picked-over vegetable aisle when he suddenly jerked back as if he had been stuck with a stun gun. He knew that voice. He also knew the voice that responded.

"I've been talking to you for the last ten minutes about Takao-kun's reaction when I told him about Midorin and _that_'s what you pick up on? Ugh. It doesn't matter, Dai-chan. Your mother likes it, and it's _her_ birthday, so we are making it for her!"

"Whatever your obsession with Shuutoku players is aside, I am fairly sure it is in everyone's best interest that we just buy her a card, Satsuki. I speak from experience, and a firm wish not to be food poisoned."

** "**_Dai-chan."_

Taiga glanced over top of the aisle. There stood his Touou frenemies; Aomine yawning and blinking the sleep from his eyes, and Momoi scanning the shelves as if her life depended on it. Yet whenever Momoi stuck something in front of his face (or jabbed him in the ribs, or tugged on his sleeve, or even called his name) Aomine glanced down, gave it his attention for half a second, and made a noncommittal response. Their interactions were practiced and easy; Ahomine really hadn't been kidding when he said that Momoi always dragged him around on their days off.

"Ok, so miso is good to go. Now, onto the noodles!"

Aomine groaned in dismay, but even Taiga could tell it was for show. "Noodles, too? Jeez, Satsuki! I didn't realize you hated my mother _that_ much!"

Momoi turned to face him, her hands on her hips. "It's not _me_, Dai-chan - or did you forget? We're cooking this _together._ So if it's not any good it's your fault too!"

"I highly, highly doubt that. Even I can boil water, Satsuki-"

The continued on in that vein, bickering over who was the least lethal cook for quite some time. Yet even so, they moved in perfect unison, and Aomine never released his hold on the shopping basket. He also glanced over at her from time to time during lulls in the verbal barrage and it was during one of these looks that Taiga finally realized that they reminded him of those old married couples who spend their entire lives together, and achieve an almost frightening level of rapport that they put to good use while selling steamed buns, or whatever it is their small town is famous for, and-

Although his rambling daydream made very little sense even to him, the import of it was obvious. Aomine and Momoi were a couple, even if they themselves hadn't realized it yet. Heck, they were _shopping_ together, and from the look of things were veterans. So why had Momoi been so hung up on Kuroko then? Wasn't it better to be with someone so easily, who understood you and you could be yourself around?

Taiga wasn't sure what she was thinking, but assured himself it was probably some obscure female reasoning that he could never hope to understand.

** "**Kagami-kun has been staring quite hard at the cantaloupe for some time now. The suspense is killing me. I need to know - will we have it for dessert, or not?"

Taiga screeched, and if They Who Were Not Dating hadn't moved out of range his career as a detective would have ended not only in humiliation, but failure. As it was half the housewives in the store turned and stared, convinced someone was getting mugged. It was bad enough.

Kuroko mock pouted. "I like how Kagami-kun is surprised every time, but perhaps that was a bit excessive."

As soon as his heart dislodged itself from his throat Taiga bent down and hissed, "Kuroko! What are you doing here? You almost gave me away!"

His teammate's eyebrows furrowed and his expression - deadpan, of course, but with a hint of something put out - made Taiga's heart swell in his chest. "And what exactly is Kagami-kun hiding from? Everyone on the team knows you are secretly a housewife. And anyone who has enjoyed your cooking is ok with that."

As per usual, Taiga didn't understand what Kuroko was talking about. "What? Why would I- no_. N_o. I'm not even going to ask." He sighed, and glanced in the direction of where he had last seen Momoi and Aomine. "Look over there - Momoi and Ahomine are shopping too, and I was watching them. So-"

"Ahh, I see. Well, should we go say hello? We will tell them that we are shopping to make dinner for our child."

"Our wha-" Horrifying images of Nigou propped up in a high chair being spoon fed by Kuroko came to mind, and Taiga glanced around wildly for the dog. "You-you didn't bring him _here_, did you? Dogs aren't allowed in grocery stores!"

A slow smile spread across Kuroko's face, readable even with Kuroko's inexpressive visage. "Kagami-kun didn't even have to ask what I meant. He is becoming a reliable father indeed. Perhaps I should draw him a bath and call him otou-san?"

The color rushed to Taiga's face so quickly for a moment he thought he might hit the deck. The sudden image of Kuroko standing over a steaming bath wearing nothing but his current sly smile made intelligent speech impossible. "You! It! I! _Urghhhh_."

"I will let Kagami-kun reflect upon it further. For now, we should go pay our respects to Aomine-kun and Momoi-san."

"Wait, no-" Without thinking, Taiga grabbed Kuroko's arm, fingers curling completely around it. Both boys froze, staring down at where they were connected. Only when Kuroko looked up at him with a calculating look in his eye did Taiga let go. "Ahhh, sorry. But it's about what I was trying to say earlier - I don't want them to see me. Us. You know."

"And why might _that_ be?"

Taiga shouldn't be this happy to see Kuroko's annoyance, even if he cultivated every scrap of emotion he provoked. "Because I'm spying on them, ok? I mean - just _look_ at them!" Both eyes cut to the Touou twosome at just the right time. Momoi held up several packets of herbs, and Aomine made a show of grumbling and scowling and pretending his hardest not to care, but with a little pleading Momoi was able to get him to pick out a packet. Yet as soon as she looked down to place the herbs in the basket Aomine's facade flickered for just a moment, and he smiled gently at his childhood friend.

"See?!"

"Kagami-kun, _hush."_

Momoi, having missed Aomine's rare moment of kindness, entwined her arm through his in order to steer him to their next destination. Yet even when they stopped she didn't let go, leaning forward with one hand wrapped around his wrist. It was all done with efficiency and ease, and the intimacy of long-time partners. Taiga and Kuroko exchanged a glance.

"This is good news, Kagami-kun."

"_I'll _say- wait, what? But...isn't this _bad_ news? I mean, they're oblivious! How are they going to get together if they don't figure it out?"

Kuroko had a strange expression on his face as he looked up at him. Yet before Taiga could make headway into figuring out what the look meant, Kuroko picked up the cantaloupe and settled it into the cart. "It's a good thing as this means Momoi-san wasn't truly in love with me, and therefore I do not need to feel guilty anymore. Yet we've stood here long enough, and we will get caught if we don't leave soon." Now Taiga _could_ read his expression, and it was that playful one that usually meant he'd be running away from Nigou in a matter of minutes. "It would be best to continue this discussion over dinner, I think. While we're at it, we can also discuss Kagami-kun's latent tendencies towards romance. What will we be having, by the way?"

What Taiga thought was: _Romance? I'll show you romance. I'll back you into the aisle, pushing you against it so I could kiss the hell out of you as the spices tumble down around us. Or: I'll lean you back like we were frigging ballroom dancers and kiss you then, with all the housewives __swooning and/or __applauding. Or: I'll take you home, make you the best damn dinner you've ever had, and kiss you so softly you'd think you were dreaming. Or-_

His reply was: "Curry. Apparently with cantaloupe for dessert. And I'm not a romantic, Kuroko."

"This remains to be seen. May I request carrots for the curry?"

"Only if you're prepared to eat all of them."

Kuroko pouted, and Taiga's efforts to keep from kissing his partner silly became legendary. "Ok, fine. But just one carrot. Not like, four."

"Any more than one at a time is a bit_ excessive_, Kagami-kun…"

Tagai blushed and jerked his head away, knowing he was being baited but powerless to do a damn thing about it. His flush only deepened when he realized how else Kuroko's words could be construed. "I...just- ugh. _Kuroko. _ Knock it off and just - just help me pick out the spices, yeah?"

"If my light so commands."

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He had been to Kagami-kun's apartment many times, but he never failed to be struck at how sterile it was: white walls; no extra shoes at the walkway, and shelves uncluttered with pictures or posters, or any other memorabilia to prove someone lived there. Had Kagami-kun's father moved back with him, perhaps things would be different. As it was, Tetsuya was always struck with a moment of loneliness whenever he walked in, and the fierce longing to make sure there was no time that Kagami-kun ever felt alone. If there were less than pure motives coloring his wish, he forgave himself, believing it was in Kagami-kun's best interest to have company as often as possible.

"Ahh, just put the cantaloupe on the counter. I'll start preparing dinner. You can go watch a movie, if you want."

"I would rather watch Kagami-kun. Perhaps this way I will learn his cooking secrets." Tetsuya swallowed a grin when Kagami-kun heaved a sigh, but smiled nearly immediately.

"I'm not sure it works that way, but sure, go ahead. Ok. So the first step is to…" Kagami-kun trailed off as he moved about the kitchen, and soon switched into full on cooking mode, where even the simplest of Kuroko's questions garnered distracted responses in English, and Kuroko couldn't help but stifle a smile at Kagami-kun's inability to multi-task. Someday, he would know enough English to understand Kagami-kun's cryptic comments, and perhaps even hold full conversations with him. For now, he would simply bask in these unguarded moments wherein it was confirmed that Kagami-kun was an angel.

They enjoyed themselves immensely, arguing over player's stats and future plans, and wondering what on earth Tetsuya's other crazy friends would get into after high school. Dinner was, as always, delicious. It was only as Kuroko was half-heartedly spearing at cubes of cantaloupe - at Kagami-kun's insistence, who simply couldn't understand that not everyone ate as much as he - that things began to fall apart.

"_Here's your chance, do your dance at the space jaaaaaaaaaaam-"_

Kagami-kun swore as he fumbled with his cell phone, giving Tetsuya a _look_ as he swiped at the screen. Tetsuya smiled proudly. It was a longstanding tradition on the Seirin team to change Kagami-kun's ringtone to something obnoxiously American, and Kiyoshi-senpai had, with a stroke of brilliance, settled upon the Space Jam theme song. While the team was unsure what the lyrics meant or why they might be considered embarrassing, Kagami-kun never failed to blush and stutter every time. While his light had made things more difficult by changing his phone's language to English, Tetsuya's English scores were high and with a bit of luck had changed it back during dinner.

Kagami-kun glanced back up at him before answering. "Can I take this?"

Tetsuya nodded graciously. His partner could be such a gentlemen, if a little unpolished.

"Thanks." He swiped at the screen again, bringing the phone up to his ear. "Uh, hello?"

It was probably Alex, or perhaps his family. Otherwise, Kagami-kun wasn't big on phone calls when he had company over…

"Takao, wait- hold on, you're talking too fast-"

Wait a minute. Takao? As in, Takao Kazunari, Midorima's point guard, social buffer, and all-around babysitter? Tetsuya sat up straight, all attempts of stuffing himself with cantaloupe forgotten. As far as he knew, Kagami-kun and Takao-san's relationships was limited to whenever Seirin and Shuutoku played, and even then they tended to orbit around Midorima-kun and himself. Why would Takao-san have Kagami-kun's number? And why on earth would he be calling him _now?_

"Wait, what? You can't find Midorima? Um. Why would _I_ know where he is?"

Please. Midorima-kun was eccentric at the best of times. Why would his disappearing act mean anything at all? He was probably off procuring one of his horrendous lucky items. There was absolutely no need for Takao-san to include Kagami-kun in this stupid goose chase-

"Oh, Kuroko's number? Actually I can just ask him now. Hold on a sec." He put his palm against the bottom half of the phone, and addressed his partner. "Hey, Kuroko. You don't know where Midorima's gone, do you?"

Glacial was one way of describing Tetsuya's current expression. Even If I Did Know I'd Merely Hunt Him Down And Kill Him Myself, was another. _"No."_

Kagami-kun frowned, clearly confused at Tetsuya's attitude. "Uh. Would you be ok with, um. Texting him?"

Tetsuya glared. Kagami-kun stared right back, not knowing what the hell was going on. Finally, and only because Tetsuya knew his rampant jealousy would not be appeased until he figured out how the hell Takao got his partner's number - and that conversation wouldn't happen until he did something about the missing Midorima - he shrugged, and reached for his cell.

"Thanks. Ah, Takao? Kuroko is texting him now. I hope you find him soon, ok? Yeah, see you around. Bye."

_Stop hiding from Takao-san or I will photoshop and then send incriminating photos of Kise-kun and yourself to everyone you know. __The photo attached is a taste of my sincerity._ Tetsuya pressed _send,_ reflecting on the other photos he had remaining in his arsenal. There was something to be said for middle school training camps…

Across the table, Kagami-kun pocketed his cellphone before glancing sheepishly in his direction. "Sorry about that..thought it might be something important."

Tetsuya reminded himself to unclench his jaw. He was overreacting, and it was unsightly. Just because Takao-san was handsome, popular, intelligent, charming, able to handle the Generation of Miracles and _somehow_ had possession of Kagami-kun's phone number did not mean he was going after Kagami-kun, nor that Kagami-kun would even notice. Yet that was the danger! Kagami-kun was Oblivious-kun, and although it was a charming trait it also gave Tetsuya a heart attack on a weekly basis. "It is totally fine, Kagami-kun. I am well aware of Midorima-kun's eccentricities. I was merely surprised that Takao-san had exchanged numbers with you." There, that wasn't too much, was it?

Apparently so, as Kagami-kun eyed the twitching vein at his temple with both fascination and no small amount of trepidation. "We just met by chance in the grocery store this one time...and I ended up giving him a miso recipe. Apparently it made his dad cry."

That pierced through Tetsuya's seething jealousy. "_He didn't like it_?"

"No, they were happy tears, according to Takao."

Tetsuya nodded sagely. Kagami-kun's miso left _nothing_ to be desired, and was one of his favorite meals, and- no. _Not_ getting sidetracked. His eyes fell on the ring around his light's neck, and all the emotions he'd shoved beneath his resolve began bubbling up towards the surface. "And now you and Takao-san are friends, is that it?"

Kagami-kun opened his mouth immediately to respond, but closed it when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Tetsuya glanced over to see what it was, but all that was there were Kagami-kun's old pair of court shoes, given by Aomine-kun during last year's winter cup. "And so what if we are?"

"Oh, it's nothing to _me. _I just wonder what Himuro-san would say." As soon as he said it he knew it was foolish. Foolish and petty and stupid, and Kagami-kun deserved none of that, even if he was best friends with a man who probably was in love with him, and now was phone friends with someone who had won over _Midorima Shintarou _while at the same time defining the term 'high spec boyfriend.'

"Tatsuya? Ha. Nothing that Aomine hasn't said already."

Tetsuya sucked in a breath, and was surprised to see that Kagami-kun no longer wore an expression of surprise. His partner was looking back at him steadily, and the unexpected challenge in Kagami-kun's gaze made his stomach fold in on himself. This expression was even more dangerous than his full attention - _this_ kind of face made Tetsuya want to leap across the table and drag him underneath it, peppering him with kisses and love bites all the while. Yet the introduction of his old light made it easier to remember himself. "Aomine-kun? Why is he involved?"

"Same reason that Tatsuya is, or so I'd guess. He _is_ your old light, after all."

Kuroko's eyes flared wide. "Are you saying that your relationship with Himuro-san is equivocal to mine and Aomine-kun's? I find that hard to believe. We never addressed each other as brothers, nor do I wear his ring around my neck."

Takao was utterly forgotten. The true, underlying issues spilled out, and when Kagami-kun abruptly stood and began to pace back and forth, Tetsuya stood to watch him.

"That! That has nothing to do with anything! And at least I never chased after Tatsuya!"

Tetsuya's hands gripped into fists at his side. "I did no such thing! And even if you choose to ignore what that ring really means _I_ am not so blind!"

"What would you have me do? Turn my back on our friendship?"

"No, but mine is no longer my _light-"_

Kagami-kun was suddenly leaning down over him, crowding him and making his heart pound. Tetsuya was aware of the wall behind his back and Kagami-kun's breath against his face with painful clarity. "Oh, _isn't_ he? And if you could choose him, wouldn't you? Maybe I'm not good enough anymore, when he's starting to shine again for you."

They weren't talking about basketball. Kagami-kun had never doubted them on the court, and from the dark look in his eye Tetsuya knew he was utterly serious. So he worried about Aomine-kun socially? Tendrils of excitement wound round his heart, and Tetsuya's breath hitched on the exhale. "_You_ are my light, Kagami-kun. To believe anything else is foolish. But in your case, wouldn't you choose Himuro-san over me? Doesn't your brother mean more than your shadow?"

"How could he? He's not you."

Tetsuya's heart skittered to a stop before exploding against his ribcage. Even though Kagami-kun's words were simple, and pronounced with surprisingly good diction for a returnee, Tetsuya couldn't make sense of them. He...meant more than Himuro-san? To Kagami-kun? And when Kagami-kun said it with that look in his eye - as if he wanted to devour him - it confused Tetsuya even further but _god_ he didn't want him to stop.

As if he understood his silent plea, Kagami-kun ran his hand through Tetsuya's hair, bracing himself with the other on the wall behind him. Tetsuya's breath came in short, quick gasps, waiting for the inevitable. "I wanna' be your only light. I don't want to share you with him...or with anyone."

Tetsuya's licked his lips as Kagami-kun's eyes lidded, yet he understood this brand of possessiveness. "Well _I_ want to rip off that necklace and burn it-"

Kagami-kun angled his face so that their noses brushed, and for one heart stopping moment Tetsuya thought he would finally kiss him. Yet then he pulled back, searching Tetsuya's eyes with his own. "Tell me it's ok, Kuroko. Tell me I _can."_ His eyes flicked down to Tetsuya's lips.

Tetsuya dragged his teeth over his lower lip, noting the dark bloom of arousal in Kagami-kun's eyes. Slowly, he wound his hands around his partner's neck, pulling him close until their bodies were flush against each other, and their lips mere millimeters away. It was then that he whispered his assent, directly into the seam of his light's mouth.

"_Kiss me, Kagami-kun."_

He had barely finished breathing the final syllable of his love's name when his lips were on his, warm and pliant and enough to send his mind spinning. Tetsuya's heart thudded to a stop and a blanket of bliss settled over him, infusing his heart and mind with ineffable joy. Yet then Kagami-kun's lips shifted, and the peace was destroyed, leaving in its place crazed sensation and a libido that pounded along with his pulse.

Tetsuya groaned as Kagami-kun licked at the seams of his lips, and desperately tried to return the favor. Yet his light was so warm and alive; he smelled so delicious and his presence threatened to swamp Tetsuya's senses. He opened his mouth against his partner's onslaught, shuddering when his mouth caught and shifted against Kagami-kun's own. His hands pulled at his partner's neck and face, mindlessly proving his desperation for him. Tetsuya felt twitchy and hot, as if he couldn't get close enough to the man he had lusted after for so long now. Yet when Kagami-kun's tongue slipped past his own lips, the sensory overload proved too much for him, and his head fell back against the wall with a discernible _thunk. _

Fear flashed across Kagami-kun's eyes, yet it didn't last long. His eyes darkened as he took in Tetsuya's dishevelment. Likewise, Tetsuya knew exactly how he looked - wide, dark eyes, flushed cheeks and heaving shoulders - but he didn't care. All he cared about was having more of this, even if his legs felt too weak to hold his weight. So he stretched out his arms, latching them around his partner's neck and trusting in his strength to carry his weight. "_More, _Kagami-kun._" _

Kagami-kun ducked back in, claiming Tetsuya's mouth in another unschooled, yet searing kiss. Either he could sense Tetsuya's shaking legs, or he simply wanted a better angle, as his hands trailed down to his shadow's waist and shifted him up the wall, leaning in close to trap him there with his own body. Tetsuya moaned at the sudden movement, and instinctively tightened his legs around Kagami-kun's waist. _This_ was what he wanted - not just closeness, but equality, and his lips to be so intimately connected with Kagami-kun's. He showed his appreciation for his partner's consideration by dipping his own tongue into his teammate's mouth, tangling it with his. Now it was Kagami-kun's turn to moan, and the sheer sexiness of the sound made Tetsuya squirm.

Yet it wasn't the only thing making Tetsuya squirm. Kagami-kun's large hands had settled on his thighs, alternatively massaging and clutching him. As the kiss grew more heated, however, they trailed further back, trapping him in place when Kagami-kun ground his core against his.

_Oh god-_

Kagami-kun was huge. Huge and hard and from the feel of things, incredibly ready for underage carnality. Tetsuya sucked in a ragged breath and all the blood in his body pooled between his thighs. Mindlessly, he thrust back, mentally cataloging all the things he wanted to do once he got his light's pants off. First, he wanted to see _it._ More than anything else, he wanted to see Kagami-kun's dick when it was hard, thick, and dark with arousal. Yet then he'd want to touch it, with feather light strokes of his fingertips...and with his tongue-

Kagami-kun pulled back, jarring Tetsuya's fantasy. He whined at the loss of contact, but with a little smirk and a deliberate twist of his hips, rubbing their erections together, Kagami-kun pressed his lips to the side of Tetsuya's neck and sucked.

"_Kagami-_" Tetsuya cried out, clutching at his shoulders and pressing his hips into Kagami-kun's stomach. Months of waiting and wanting had all come down to this, and when he felt the scrape of his partner's teeth against his neck he could take no more. "I need you. _Now."_

Kagami-kun gave one last, lingering suck before he finally pulled away. "Are you sure about this? We can take our time, you know." The urgency in his eyes gave away the lie to his promise, yet Tetsuya honored him for trying. He himself was a shivering mess of excitement, and the thought of waiting was akin to breathing water.

"It would be foolish to wait any longer, Kagami-kun. Also, I am fairly sure my body would implode if we attempted to do so."

Kagami-kun groaned at the back of his throat, and Tetsuya found himself no longer pressed up against the wall, but held in a classic princess carry. "You can't say stuff like that - it'll make me hate myself for waiting this long." He kicked open his bedroom door and slanted sideways so that Tetsuya wouldn't hit his head on the doorframe.

Now that they were in sight of the bed, Tetsuya found his ability to think rationally severely diminished. To make up for it, he planted kisses along Kagami-kun's neck, sucking on the pulse point at the base of his shoulder. "Talk after, Kagami-kun. More kisses, please."

"Gotta' keep my shadow happy." Kagami-kun lowered him gently onto the bed before moving over him, propping himself up on his forearms. Tetsuya thought the fire in his belly had been bad enough when he had been pinned to the wall but this was even more dangerous - Kagami-kun's kiss was slow and deep, and laying back like this made it difficult to breathe. Every inch of Kagami-kun's body was pressing against his, and Tetsuya entertained fleeting thoughts on the possibility of dying from sexual exposure.

He brought his hands down Kagami-kun's back, tracing over each and every muscle, until they rested at his hips. His erection wasn't as noticeable now, as his partner was just too damn tall, and Tetsuya wanted to fix that. So he pushed at Kagami-kun's broad shoulders, and didn't stop until he finally pulled away from the kiss.

"Kuroko, what…?

"Roll over." Tetsuya kept pushing until Kagami-kun was settled on his back. Tetsuya climbed on top, choosing to straddle his hips rather than lay himself out. _There_. That was better. Now they were pushing up against each other just as they had in the living room. Tetsuya twisted his hips, glorying in the feel of Kagami-_kun_, and the way his eyes rolled back in pleasure.

"_Ungh_, Kuroko-!"

It was a heady feeling to be in control like this. Tetsuya ground down again, ignoring his racing heart to better observe his lover's reactions. He placed his hands on Kagami-kun's chest for better leverage, and Kagami-kun's trailed over his hips and ass, holding him in place. He thrust down a third time, unable to keep his own appreciation silent.

"You don't have to be quiet, Kuroko. No one's gonna' hear." Kagami-kun's voice was low and rough, and it made Tetsuya breathless. His fingers fumbled at Tetsuya's belt, and before he could think better of it, he brought his own around to help.

"That remains to be seen. What also remains to be seen is whether or not Kagami-kun will divest of his clothing. Does he require my assistance?" Tetsuya reached for the hem of Kagami-kun's shirt, preparing to raise it above his head. Kagami-kun stopped unbuckling Tetsuya's pants to helpfully lift his arms above his head.

"Only if you wanna' give it. Also knock it off with the complicated words. Not the time, Kuroko."

"My apologies. Perhaps-" Tetsuya was cut off by the impressive stretch of Kagami-kun's abdominal muscles as he sat up, bringing their faces close together. Before Tetsuya could recover his train of thought, his partner nipped his nose.

"Kaga-"

"_Tetsuya."_ Kagami-kun's eyes were dark and dangerous as they searched his. "I wanna' touch you. Can I?"

There could be no opposition to such a delicious request. Tetsuya sighed into Kagami-kun's kiss, and the work of a few moments found them stripped down to their underclothes; Kagami-kun once again hovering over Tetsuya. His hands smoothed over his shadow's soft skin, their kisses deepening when he reached the waistband of his boxers. Tetsuya's breath hitched when Kagami-kun pulled his boxers down; his cock hardening from half-mast to full when warm hands smoothed over it. Slowly, his partner began to pump him, and such was the pleasure his touch evoked that Tetsuya couldn't manage any embarrassment when Kagami-kun pulled away to look at it.

"_Damnit, _Tetsuya. You look so fucking good-"

Tetsuya thrust upwards, forgetting himself. He had never suspected Kagami-kun would be this confident, this _dominant. _And for a self-proclaimed virgin - and with enough flustered blushes to prove it - he seemed remarkably good at this. Later he would think about this, and would decide that further experimentation was required before he came to a more concrete hypothesis. For now, all he could do at the moment was appreciate it.

Kagami-kun settled in close to him, leaning over to kiss as he stroked him. Tetsuya roused himself enough to notice the disparity - it was unfair that Kagami-kun wasn't receiving pleasure in return, wasn't it? With great effort, he placed his hand on top of his partner's, stilling his movements. Then with a sly upward glance, he tucked his other hand under the elastic of Kagami-kun's briefs.

"The shadow must follow the light, no?"

Kagami-kun's breath hitched as Tetsuya tugged his briefs down, yet he made no move to stop him and never took his eyes from his shadow's face. Tetsuya, on the other hand, couldn't drag his eyes away from the line of fine hairs stretching from Kagami-kun's belly button down to his hips, and culminating in a mass of tight curls nesting his- Tetsuya sucked in a deep breath when the briefs cleared Kagami-kun's manhood, letting it stand intimidatingly tall and thick under his scrutiny. Then he licked his lips.

Kagami-kun cleared his throat on the second try. "Just...let's just touch with our hands, for today. Yeah? I uh...I don't know how to do anything else."

Tetsuya nodded slowly, not looking away from Kagami's cock. It was a relief to know his light was inexperienced as he, and it put to rest any fears he harbored about particular reasons for Kagami-kun's being surprisingly good at all the steps leading up to this. "We will learn together, Kagami-kun. But for tonight I will follow your request." He used both hands to cup his partner, and the familiar-yet-not feel of the cock in his hands made him dizzy with pleasure.

Kagami-kun groaned as his head fell back against the pillow. "_Jesus, _Tetsuya. You gotta' stop calling me that. _Mmmmh-_ use my name in times like- _ah- _this!"

That would require a great deal of bravery. Yet not any more so than what was required to wrap his fingers around Kagami-kun's member and pleasure him, surely. Besides, hearing his own given name had him throbbing against his thigh and leaking pre-cum onto Kagami-kun's bedspread. Would it do the same for his lover? "As you wish, Taiga-kun."

"_Ohjesusfuckingshit _I _want_ you-" Taiga-kun rolled over, nearly dislodging Tetsuya's hold on him. Yet from this angle he could reach out and grab Tetsuya's own member, and after another small adjustment, lean up and kiss him.

"_Ohhhh-"_ They clung to each other, sucking at each others lips as their hands pulled at their cocks. The sexual energy between them made it hard to concentrate, and Tetsuya found his pace slipping from time to time. Yet Taiga-kun's touch reminded him, and it didn't take long for the two sex-starved teens to find release.

Taiga-kun came first, rutting into Tetsuya's hand and moaning into his mouth. Tetsuya's hand was suddenly slick and warm, yet the echoes of his light's pleasure and the sudden pressure on his dick made his body pulse. He felt the familiar excitement building in his belly, and it was barely a minute later when he came, falling back against the bed and calling out his light's name.

They lay there, panting in the afterglow. It took Tetsuya a long time to recover his wits, yet when he came back down to earth Taiga-kun's fingers were tracing little patterns against his cheek. The motion made his heart clench in on itself. Hundreds of questions battered at the inside of his skull, like _how long have you wanted this, _and _can we do that again,_ and _can we make this work, _ and _do you love me back? _Yet at this moment he felt the urge to ask none of them. Questions would come later. For now he was content to bask in the warmth of his lover's embrace, without worrying about the world outside. Judging by the peaceful smile on Taiga-kun's face, he felt the same.

After a long moment in which Tetsuya thought he could die happily, Taiga-kun decided to break the mood. "I'll, um. I'll grab some tissues, yeah? Be right back."

Tetsuya pouted. "If this is your attempt at getting out of cuddling, Taiga-kun, it is a very poor effort."

His lover laughed against his temple before kissing it. "Can it, grumpy. I'll be right back. Besides, sticky beds are no place to cuddle on."

Tetsuya had nothing to say in reply. His eyelids were becoming unfathomably heavy, and when the bed shifted underneath him as Taiga-kun got up, it felt as if the room was spinning. He listened for the click of the door shutting behind his lover, but then his exhaustion caught up with him, and he dozed off.

As he slept, he dreamed that Taiga-kun held him in a hammock made of stars.

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**I have learned that there is something even more annoying than keeping track of the pronouns when two people of the same gender are kissing. It is writing from Kuroko's point of view, and not writing 5 bajillion "Kagami-kun/s." *Heavy breathing***

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**If you liked it, you know what to do ( -_^) **


	4. Part IV

**Part IV: ****The meaning of it all: Midorima still hasn't figured it out, and Aomine and Momoi can't be bothered, but Takao has a pretty good idea.**

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Shintarou was a man of patterns and procedures, and he was the first to admit it. Yet he was also a man of no mean intelligence, and could - in extremely mitigated circumstances - break from the norm. Such was the case that Sunday, when Aomine stumbled into his living room at 9AM, and found Shintarou sitting on his couch.

Aomine did not handle matters as well as Shintarou would have liked. "What the fucking fuck? Fuck! Midorima, what the fuck are you doing in my living room?!"  
Well. Someone needed their mouth washed out with soap. Lucky for him, his lucky item was a bar of ginger scented soap, guaranteed to leave your body tingly and fresh. Shintarou gauged his chances at getting away with using it on Aomine's mouth. ...it would require unsightly scuffling, so no. Also, highly likely to get him kicked out. Therefore it was time to engage in morning greetings. "Good morning, Aomine. I see you consider clothing optional before breakfast."

True to his brazen (uncouth) nature, there was no embarrassment in his reply. "I'm wearing boxers, aren't I? That's good enough! Besides, it's not like I expected _visitors_ this morning. Fuck. Now I gotta' put on pants."

"Don't let me keep you from your noble ideals."

Aomine rubbed the back of his neck, glaring fiercely. "Fuckin' hate you, Midorima. When I get back you better be out of my house."

Shintarou adjusted his glasses. "That would defeat the purpose of donning pants in the first place. Besides I cannot leave. Your mother has offered me tea."

"Arghhhh!" Aomine made his dramatic exit just as his mother - a surprisingly charming woman, all things considered - entered with a steaming cup of tea. Midorima took a sip, decided it was awful, and for a minute or two all things were right in the world.

It took Aomine five minutes to clothe himself, and Shintarou amused himself while waiting by wondering what could possibly be taking him this long. Surely it didn't that long to put on a pair of pants and a t-shirt? Shintarou primly crossed his legs as his old power forward came back, blinking in surprise at the sight of him. He wondered what the chances were of Aomine's having completely forgotten about their whole interlude, and what that would mean about the depths of Aomine's stupidity.

"You're still here?"

Apparently not dumb, just rude. "It would be unforgivable to leave without paying my respects, and finishing my tea. Your mother is very gracious. Whatever happened to you?"

Apparently his old teammate had put on some patience along with his pants. "Not now, Midorima. I can't handle you before noon. Just tell me what you want, and _go."_

Therein lay the quandary. Shintarou couldn't just tell him that he was hiding from Takao, and had been since Friday afternoon. Especially since he had already alerted Kise to the possibility of their being blackmailed by Kuroko, and having Kise's firm assurance (his reputation as a model was at stake, after all) that he would handle the matter. Yet he also couldn't simply claim that he wished to spend time with Aomine, as that would undoubtedly lead to them committing acts of violence on the other's person. Therefore, there was only one thing to do. "I...wished to speak about Momoi, actually." Technically, it wasn't a lie. He very much wanted to know what was wrong with the woman, and why she thought she had the right to come traipsing over to _his_ school and inflict psychological damage upon him. And if he had incredible luck, perhaps he could determine what her fascination with safaris was all about, as it was bothering him more than it should.

Aomine yawned. "Oh god, what did she do now? Don't tell me she's bothering the boys over at Shuutoku - oh wait, she said something about that..." Shintarou shifted, and something about it must have been uncomfortable enough to garner even Aomine's attention. "Oh god. Don't tell me - it can't be…no. _No. _I forbid it."

Shintarou's eyes narrowed. Forbid what now? Besides making no sense at all, this drama was uncalled for. Also he wasn't sure he'd ever seen Aomine look horrified before, and he was very sure that he didn't like it.

"No. No_nonononono. _She can't. I won't allow it. I just..._no."_

Seriously, Aomine's eyes were practically bugging out of his skull and it made his own eyes water a little. He nudged at his glasses, as at this point he had no idea what else to do. "I am confused. What, exactly, cannot Momoi do?"

Just then, as if this were one of those silly French plays, Momoi came sailing in from stage left. "Morning Dai-chan. I'm impressed that you're already wearing pants- wait, Midorin? What are _you _doing here?"

Farce. The French things were called farces, and Shintarou was now, apparently, inside of one. The only person outside of Takao that he wanted to avoid was Momoi, and here she was, standing before him. Yet even though her being here probably would bring even more humiliation than he had already suffered, he couldn't help but admire the way she treated her goggling best friend as if it were an everyday procedure. "Good morning, Momoi. Aomine and I are merely having a chat. Was there something you-"

"No! Stop talking! To her! Not allowed!" Aomine huffed angrily, and apparently this was a new level of oddity for even his childhood friend to handle, as she approached him slowly and carefully, as a bushman might his dinner…

Oh hell, now even _he_ was doing it!

"Dai-chan? Are you feeling ok?"

Aomine's brows drew together in a pained expression. Shintarou took a delicate sip of tea and found himself appreciating the oddness of the moment. After all, it seemed that Aomine was far more likely to pass out this time than he. "No, Satsuki. No, I am not ok. And frankly, neither are you! What do you think you're doing? You can't...I mean, damn! Tetsu was _one_ thing, but - but…!"

Shintarou kept on sipping, yet his eyes flew to Momoi, curious to see how she would react. She had never been one for taking Aomine's nonsense, and she didn't disappoint this time. "Dai-chan. What are you _talking_ about? I am perfectly fine! Much better than I was before, as a matter of fact! And why are you bringing up Tetsu-kun?"

Aomine's reaction would have been more understandable had she answered in the opposite. "Ohhh. _Right_. Much better, huh? And why's that? Because of Midorima?"

A frightening possibility suddenly occurred to Shintarou, and he nearly choked on his tea. Aomine didn't think...he couldn't _possibly_ be inferring-

Momoi was so confused that she halted her approach. "Well...yes, actually. A little. Sort of." She turned to Shintarou and winced. "Sorry, Midorin. I know that's probably not what you want to hear."

Shintarou was still too distracted with the possibility that Aomine was laboring under..._serious delusions_ that he simply waved her off. That, seemingly, was the last straw. Aomine drew himself up to his full, impressive height, and stepped close to Momoi so that he could loom over her. "You are not allowed to date _Midorima."_

Even thought he'd been expecting it, Shintarou spat out his tea. Momoi -had she been able to- would have done the same. "What the hell, Dai-chan! I thought you were serious!"

"I _am_ serious! You're not allowed to date- scratch that, you're not allowed to even _look_ at him, let alone like him!"

Momoi began to swell with the righteous fury of females, and Shintarou leaned back against the couch. He wondered how much protection the cushions could afford him, and decided it wouldn't be enough.

"Are you _crazy? _Why the hell do you think I like Midorin? No offense, Midorin. But seriously!"

Aomine leaned in close to intimidate, but Momoi was no stranger to his tricks. Shintarou, after dismissing the cushions as adequate protective gear, wondered where Mrs. Aomine had gone, and whether or not she was concerned that there were two young people going at it in the living room...or if this was too common to worry about. "Your secret's out, Satsuki. Why else would you be dicking around in Shuutoku? What else could you possibly say that would lay Midorima out?" He swung his arms out and nearly knocked over his mother's vase. "Even Midorima knows! Why try to hide it?"

Momoi's head swiveled on its stalk, and her eyes were wide and frightening. Shintarou knew there was only a small window to save himself before she turned her rage onto him, and unlike Aomine, he had little to no experience with crazy women. "No. No I did not. I said none of that; do not drag me into this you crazy ganguro fool." And then, because he absolutely couldn't help himself, "Although I would like to say this is probably divine justice, and now you know how it feels."

Cancer was ranked third today - behind Scorpio and Virgo - and it was probably that which caused Momoi to wince and turn her attention back to Aomine instead of simply laying into Shintarou. "Dai-chan, you're wrong. That was not why I went to Shuutoku the other day. _I do not like Midorin."_

"Sure, sure. Just like you didn't like Tetsu for five fucking years. It's called a rebound, I'm not _stupid,_ Satsuki-"

"You obviously _must_ be if you think I'm that kind of girl-"

"And you have to be crazy if you think you can fool _me-"_

"And just _who_ would go from Tetsu-kun to Midorin? Honestly Dai-"

"You, apparently!"

"_Shut. Up!"_ Shintarou could count on one hand the number of times he had raised his voice around his teammates (discounting Takao, of course, who managed to get under Shintarou's skin and make it tingle with annoyance and_ annoyance only)_ but this merited it. Although he had already forfeited his manners by yelling at his hosts, he stood gracefully and carefully laid his teacup onto the table before continuing. By his calculations, he had only fourmore seconds of stunned silence before Aomine threw something at him. "That's enough from both of you. Aomine, you're an idiot. Momoi is not in love with me. However, Momoi you are _also_ an idiot as you think I'm in love with people _I never was in love with_. Yet the bottom line here is that you both are idiots, as you fail to see that you are in love with each other, and instead persist in screaming. Now turn and look at each other."

They continued staring at him, with eerily similar expressions of shock on their faces. He scowled. Apparently idiocy _was_ catching. "Or don't, it's all the same to me. I will now lay out my reasoning, and you can protest when I am finished. First of all, Momoi - who did you choose when we all went our separate ways into high school? Aomine. Who did you lie to all the other girls in Teikou about? Aomine. Who is the leading factor in all your concerns, happiness, future plans and waking moments? Do I really need to answer?"

She shook her head dumbfoundedly, finally turning to face her childhood friend. He met her gaze with a slightly more discerning expression, and the shadow in his gaze brought her to her senses. "Dai-chan…?"

Shintarou, having stepped up on his soapbox, was not getting off until he was done. "Excellent. Now onto you, Aomine. Who was the only one you never tried to push away during our middle school days? Momoi. Who fits - and very likely shaped - your ideal body type expectations? Momoi. Who is the only one you fear losing? Hint: they're in the room and it is not me. And who-"

"Enough, already. I...I get it." Aomine cut him off brusquely, turning his back to them as he did. "Look, I believe you, ok? She's doesn't have a crush on you. But you're wrong about us. We're not...we're not like that. So just...go away. I can't deal with this right now."

Shintarou glanced over at Momoi, who stood staring at her friend as if she'd never seen him before. Her eyes were practically sparkling, and Shintarou suspected that whatever had happened when Kuroko had given her that popsicle stick was happening all over again, in Aomine's living room, with him in attendance. "Dai-chan?"

_Well, this is uncomfortable. _

Aomine's shoulders tensed, and Shintarou wondered just how long he had been in love with his best friend. How could he have thought to hide it forever? Truthfully, it had only stayed a secret for as long as she was so blindly in love with someone else, but there was no way she wouldn't have determined the truth eventually. It was exactly like with Takao - with those eyes of his, the only surprise could be in his not having figured out yet that Shintarou-

"Not now, Satsuki. I - I gotta' go somewhere."

_Oh gods. Oh by Oha Asa's sweet omniscience-_

"No you don't, Dai-chan. Don't run away. _Look_ at me, please!"

_How had it come to this? How had he not _realized?

"Satsuki, I can't-"

"Yes you can. For me, Dai-chan-"

_Just when had he fallen in love with Takao?_

Stunned by his own revelation, Shintarou didn't realize what his old teammates were about to do until Aomine spun angrily, gripping Momoi's thin shoulders. "What do you want from me? Just tell me what you want!"

Momoi stared up at him like a woman transfixed, wonder lighting her face from within. "I want you to show me. Show me how it could _be."_

Aomine was helpless against her, especially now that his feelings had been revealed. He leaned down slowly; cautiously enough that Momoi grew impatient with his pace and tugged him down the last six inches to her, precipitating their bliss. So it was that Shintarou witnessed the moment when Aomine and Momoi became a thing, and several of the kisses that followed. In fact, it was only after realizing that Aomine was going to kick his ass if he was still there when he came up for air that he made his hasty retreat.

It was going to be ok, Shintarou reassured himself as he made his way to the door. While he was largely unsure of what had just happened - and utterly unsure as to _how - _he assumed it was for the best. As matters stood, Momoi would be far too distracted to hound him with her false accusations of his former not-love, and Aomine would likely be too pleased with himself to annoy Shintarou for the forseeable future. Now all that remained was to settle the matter of Takao.

Shintarou leaned his forehead against the door, hesitant to take the first step outside. He had very little experience in handling his emotions, preferring to simply ignore them and hope for the best. Yet this merited some attention. If he were in love with Takao - and although he knew it to be true he was still going to do his best to deny it - it would explain why he had reacted so spectacularly badly when Momoi had announced his (false) love for Akashi. It would also explain why avoiding Takao had become a matter of utmost importance.

Yet would it also explain why Shintarou had - god forbid he ever admit it out loud - enjoyed Takao's presence in the first place? No, surely not. It was more likely the opposite: he must have been won over by Takao's smiles, teasing, jokes, dedication, constant presence, patience, charm, adorableness, and good looks… Well, he got his own drift, thank you very much.

Shintarou also knew that there was no resolution he could come to while standing in the foyer of Aomine's house, with his former teammate and their data analyst making out in the next room. He was just going to have to buck up, shoot hoops until the sun went down, and hope that his heart would offer up a solution by then. Otherwise...well. Monday would come, and he'd have to figure out something then.

He opened the door, lost in planning out contingency plans in case he hadn't settled all this by tomorrow morning. Yet his mind blanked when he looked down to see Takao Kazunari standing on the front porch, arm folded across his chest in a worried posture. The sound of the door opening made him glance up and Shintarou was nearly overcome by the relief in Takao's expression. "Shin-chan!"

Shintarou shrieked like a little girl and then slammed the door shut.

"_Shin-chan! Open the door!" _Takao's voice drifted in from through the door, yet Shintarou's mind was too busy whirling in panic to process it. Why was he out there? How had he found him? Had the gods turned against him? _Did Oha Asa hate him?_

"_You can't hide in there forever!"_

Aomine. He had taken a suspiciously long time getting dressed, and by virtue of owning a cellphone and the inclination to leap at Kuroko's bidding, was the prime suspect. Yet there was no time to worry about that. Takao was getting steadily louder, and Aomine and Momoi were bound to notice _eventually._ Even if they didn't, Mrs. Aomine would.

There was only one thing to do. Shintarou folded one hand around the doorknob, and with the other he gripped his lucky soap bar for courage. He then threw open the door, ducked around Takao's arm, and took off across the lawn, like a majestic gazelle hoofing it over the plains of the Serengeti.

Had she witnessed it, Momoi would have been proud.

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…

…

Between figuring out who had just sent him the annoyed text relaying Shin-chan's location and his little sister spilling her juice all down his shirt, it Kazunari 20 minutes too long to get to Aomine's house. He could have made better time, but truthfully he was a little afraid of what would happen when he finally cornered Shin-chan. His ace-sama had been on the run for nearly two days now, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was the only one being avoided. Yet Kazunari had done some soul searching over the last few days, and had decided that compared to losing Shin-chan, nothing else mattered. So what if his best friend had been in love with Akashi? It didn't stand to reason that he loved him _now. _Besides, that sort of thing wouldn't affect normal friendship, and if that was all Kazunari would ever have with him, then he would treasure it, and let nothing destroy it.

Even though his mind was made up, he still loitered at the front door. What would he say when he first saw Shin-chan? What would _he_ say?

As it turned out, the answer seemed to be a shriek of pure, utter panic. Kazunari, who had a surprisingly extensive experience with Shin-chan's high-pitched noises, began yelling immediately. "Shin-chan! Open the door!" And then, because he could think of nothing else, "You can't hide in there forever!"

Shin-chan must have come to that conclusion as well, as the door flew open and before Kazunari could react, Midorima came barrelling out of the house. Yet even now the hawkeye did not fail him - he could see the flush on Shin-chan's cheeks and the panic in his green eyes, and the realization that Shin-chan was afraid of _him_ snapped the last of his restraint. He took off after him, and with every step his resolution hardened. He would have Shin-chan back. No matter what he did, he would win him over, even if all he could have was friendship...and even if that meant he would have to stoop to despicable means in order to accomplish it.

"Shin-chan, wait!" Kazunari called out as he ran. Even though Shin-chan was fueled by panic, Kazunari had always been faster - coordination, quick twitch muscles and two years of pulling the goddamn rickshaw won out over long legs. So he gained on him steadily, and at the very moment that Shin-chan glanced back over his shoulder, Kazunari leapt.

"Tak-!"

They fell heavily, and Kazunari was barely able to get his hands behind Shin-chan's head before it hit the ground. Shin-chan landed hard on his back, but it was better than falling on his arms or god forbid, his hands. Below him the ace winced, and Kazunari could have sworn he mumbled something about cheetahs bringing down their prey.

Well, shit. He hadn't meant to scramble his partner's brains! Yet there was no time for guilt. Pulling upon the infrequently used, dubious side of his charm, Kazunari blinked his eyes rapidly as crocodile tears began welling in his eyes. It was almost a shame. He hadn't seen Shin-chan face-to-face in _days_ and now that he was practically straddling the man his eyesight was as blurry as Shin-chan's was without his glasses. What he did for love…

"Takao! What the hell is wrong with you! That hurt! And I- I…" Shin-chan trailed off, panic lighting up his eyes. So, he had noticed the tears. It was time for Kazunari's performance.

"I'm sorry, Shin-chan, but I didn't know what else to do! You kept running away! Please, Shin-chan. Please just _listen_ to me!" He choked himself off as the tears began flowing more naturally, and his shoulders shook without provocation. He drew his hands from behind Shin-chan's head to grip at the collar of his jacket. "It doesn't matter, ok? I don't care! Whoever you used to love...that sort of thing won't bother me. I'm not going to be mad or hate you or any of that. So just stop running away, ok? We can just forget about it-"

"_Takao."_ Kazunari's heart skipped a beat at the commanding tone of his voice. Call him a masochist, but _oh, _he had missed this - Shin-chan's bossing him around with that no-nonsense aura and clipped tones. How bad did he have it if hearing it now made him weak in the knees? "Takao please stop crying. It's unseemly."

"But Shin-chan ran from me! He wouldn't even talk to me!"

"I..._Takao,_ you shouldn't - we're in public…!"

He was wearing him down. Kazunari knew just how kind Shin-chan secretly was, and also the depths of his forbearance. That he was already sporting his tsundere blush was a good sign. "Do I mean so little to you? Shin-chan is my best friend, and my partner, and my goddamn _light_ and you can't even talk to me about something like this? Why are you running away from me? Do you trust me that little?"

"Is...is _that_ why you're crying?" Shin-chan's voice was quiet, and had Kazunari not strained his ears, he might have missed it. The blush was dying down, though, and by Shin-chan's surprise Kazunari could only assume that either Shin-chan had been too spooked to even think about how his point guard had been feeling, or he'd been thinking something else the entire time. Stupid Shin-chan.

He wiped away tears with the back of his hand before replying. "Of course it is, idiot! It hurts that you don't trust me! It hurts that you don't even consider me enough of a friend, to-" A fresh wave of sorrow washed over him, and Kazunari began to suspect he wasn't faking tears anymore. It was time to bring out the big guns before he lost control. "Do you not want to be friends with me anymore? Is that it?"

"_Takao!"_ Shin-chan's thumbs were suddenly gliding along his wet cheekbones, his long fingers gently cupping his head. The surprise of Shin-chan touching him was so great that Kazunari nearly stopped crying. "That is- that is not what I want. I...I hadn't realized you felt that way. That is not why I...was avoiding you. I…" Shin-chan trailed off, having met Kazunari's eyes. He had to look back down before he could continue. "I avoided you for reasons of my own, and I see now that it was unfair to you. I should have simply told you Momoi was wrong, and left it at that. I apologize."

Shin-chan had never touched his face like this- had avoided prolonged exposure in general- and now that it was happening Kazunari was too focused on cataloging the feel of his partner's hands to check what came out of his mouth. "But I don't understand - _why_ avoid me? Doesn't that mean you don't trust me?"

For a fleeting moment, Shin-chan looked pained. Yet it passed quickly, leaving only his discomfiture behind. "I, too, was afraid. I thought that you would not wish to be friends with me if you thought I'd liked a man. Specifically, Akashi. I also was very embarrassed, especially as I hadn't been in love with him in the first place."

Kazunari's head snapped up so quickly his neck cracked. "You weren't in love with Akashi?" Shin-chan had to repeat himself so that Kazunari could watch him with the hawkeye and _know_ it was the truth. Such was his need that it took him a moment to process the first part of Shin-chan's admission. "And you were afraid _I_ wouldn't like _you_ anymore?"

Shin-chan's hands fell from Kazunari's face, and he adjusted his glasses on the way down. "I can assure you: I _never_ entertained anything other than respect and friendship for Akashi Seijuurou. And as for the matters pertaining to you...yes. I was...trepedatious. I had thought with your hatred of him, you would think less of me."

Joy bloomed with him, making his heart rush and his head giddy. Shin-chan was telling the truth, which meant that Kazunari hadn't been competing against He Who Must Not Lose's spector this entire time. Not only that, but he valued him enough to worry over Kazunari's reactions, and to allow him to straddle him in public, and run away rather than let their friendship end. Shin-chan was an idiot, no question. But he was _his_ idiot, and with a heart full of love for him, he told him so. "Shin-chan. You're an idiot."

"Well, I never-"

Kazunari interrupted him by throwing his arms around him, a tricky endeavor when the huggee was lying on the ground. He then began crying in earnest, loud, wracking sobs that flustered Shin-chan to no end. "What? Wait, Takao! Stop crying! Why are you crying _again?"_

He just loved this man so much, he couldn't handle it. "Because of what Shin-chan said! You dumbass! How could I hate you? Argh, I'm crying for real now!"

"But I said all that to make you _stop_ crying! Takao!"

Yet even though he grumbled and flushed, he held Kazunari until the tears had stopped.

…

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...

As they walked back to Takao's house - Kazunari talking a mile a minute and Shin-chan hmphing and 'you fool'ing' at the appropriate moments, Kazunari couldn't help but think that this had to be one of the best days of his life. Even when they had crossed the kitchen, and his mom made pointed comments about those that fight like little girls should kiss and make up already. The hypothesis was proven without question when Shin-chan made an offhand reply to _something_ Kazunari had said (he really had to start keeping track of what the hell came out of his mouth).

"All of this is irrelevant. Clearly you are my most important...friend. I wouldn't spend so much time with you were that not so. Therefore, worrying about Akashi is needless."

The door shut behind him with a quiet, definitive _click, _yet Kazunari's world had shrunk down to the barely-concealed embarrassment on Shin-chan's face, and the hesitation in his voice. His Ace's reply echoed in his ears, drowning out even the stimuli supplied by his hawkeye: _Clearly you are my most important friend. ...most important...friend. ...most important…_ He had meant to say person, hadn't he? That was how the phrasing went. No one said most important friend, that was ridiculous. And if he had meant to say _most important person_ and had only stopped himself at the last minute…

Kazunari's heart thundered against his ribcage, and he lost his head. He found himself looming over Shin-chan, pushing his teammate back onto the bed. Gone were the tears from earlier, now that Kazunari had the slightest hint of Shin-chan's deeper affections, he would stop at nothing to ferret out the truth.

"Takao, what are you doing? I already apologized for making you cry!"

For a moment, he pitied Shin-chan. This was all way too much for him, and he had a feeling this was the most he'd ever exercised his emotions in his entire life. But Kazunari simply couldn't take it anymore, and if there was even a .03% chance of winning Shin-chan right now, he would take it. "I think you said the wrong thing, Shin-chan. It's not most important _friend_, no? I think you meant something _else…"_

The tsundere blushed, sputtered, and generally looked like he was about to implode. "What that…! No I didn't! Takao, don't be stupid. Unhand me this instant!"

"Nuh uh. Not until Shin-chan is honest, and tells me how he _really_ feels."

Shin-chan glared up at him and Kazunari could practically see the resolve forming, acting as a shield to protect his emotions. Well, then. He'd just have to go about this in a slightly different way and pray to god that he hadn't just got all of this horribly wrong.

"Well, if Shin-chan is too _tsundere_ to admit it, I'll do it for him: Shin-chan is _my_ most important person, and there's nothing he can do about it."

His partner's blush was spectacular, as was the flash of hope in his eyes that his glasses couldn't quite hide. "You...I'm your - wait. I'm your friend, and the person you strove so hard to make acknowledge you...that's what you mean, isn't it? You - you can't possibly mean-"

Kazunari dipped his head, catching his light's lips in a chaste yet determined kiss. He stayed there just long enough for the voice of reason in the back of his head to begin screaming obscenities at him, yet lingered to catch Shin-chan's shocked exhale. "Yeah I do, Shin-chan." He breathed deeply, and closed his eyes, trying to quell his madly beating heart. "Is that ok?"

It was a minor eternity before the shooting guard replied, but it was worth the wait. "I...Well, it's not like I can _stop_ you." He twisted his head to the side, attempting to hide his embarrassed happiness, yet there was no hiding anything from the hawkeye. Kazunari's being was suffused with happiness, and it took all his fortitude to keep from simply pouncing on his love right then and there. Yet he knew that would likely be too much - Shin-chan needed to be wooed, just like the princess he secretly was. So he bent down again, nudging at Shin-chan's jawline with his nose. When that prompted no reaction save a stifled shiver, he resorted to drastic measures and replaced his nose with his tongue and licked him.

"Ta- Takao!"

"Gotta' look at me, Shin-chan. I've got a few more questions for you."

Trying his best to scowl, Shin-chan tilted his head so that the boys were eye to eye, only a few inches apart. Now that the hawkeye had unfettered access to Shin-chan's own eyes, there was no doubt - whether he was comfortable with admitting it or not, Shin-chan reciprocated Kazunari's feelings. Reeling with joy, Kazunari couldn't help the slow smile that stretched to his cheekbones. "All right Shin-chan. Now that you know how _I_ feel, let's get to work on figuring out how _you_ feel. Don't worry, we'll start small. Just tell me whether or not you like the things I do, ok?"

Green eyes glittered from behind their glass frames, and for a long moment Kazunari suspected he had pushed his friend too far. Yet then came a slow, halting nod, and Shin-chan's doom was sealed.

"Excellent. To begin with…" Kazunari leaned down, kissing him softly on the lips. "How was that?"

Shin-chan's lips trembled as he responded. "...adequate."

Oh, god bless his Shin-chan. Even scared witless he wouldn't forsake his bossy snark! Kazunari leaned down and kissed him again, this time allowing his lips to move gently against his love's. After a long moment of acclimation, Shin-chan clumsily attempted to return the gesture, and then followed breathless minutes of exploration that Kazunari would always remember as one of most awkward yet beautiful moments of his life.

Right when Shin-chan starting to gain confidence, Kazunari slowly pulled away. "And how was that?"

Shin-chan's eyes were wide and glassy, and he took his time in wetting his lips and swallowing down the lump in his throat. The intensity in his gaze gave away the lie to his response. "_Adequate."_

Such naughtiness deserved to punished...or rewarded, however one chose to look at it. Kazunari breathed out his name as he bent to kiss him a third time, letting loose the floodgates on his own passion. Now he kissed him deeply, nipping and licking at his lips, coaxing gasps and muffled groans from his partner. He teased his tongue past Shin-chan's teeth, tangling with his partner's. Utilizing all his skill in order to bring Shin-chan to the brink, Kazunari pulled back the moment before they both toppled over. "And how was-"

"_Takao." _Shin-chan cut him off by reaching for him and pulling him back down to the bed. Kazunari's eyes widened in surprise as Shin-chan took control of this kiss, making up for his lack of expertise in exuberance. Giving over control of the situation to his partner, Kazunari fell to his side so that they could come closer together. Limbs tangling on the bed, they spent a long time learning the taste of each other's mouth; running their hands over each other's skin. Shin-chan was naturally more hesitant, but he learned in leaps and bounds. By the time he had mustered up enough courage to slip his fingers up under the hem of Kazunari's shirt, however, he had about reached his boiling point. He fell back onto the bed, taking small, quick breaths and with his swollen lips and dark eyes, looked thoroughly debauched.

Taking in his beautiful tsundere, Kazunari could be nothing other than supremely pleased. "And how was_ that_?"

Shin-chan brought his arm up over his face to hide his blush and skewed glasses. "_Please_ stop asking me that. You already know. It is eminently obvious, or so I should think."

"_Nooooo_ I don't think I do...besides, inquiring minds want to know."

Shuutoku's ace removed his glasses, yet kept his arm in front of his eyes. "I...you tell me first. Again. Tell me _thatthingyousaidearlier_ again."

Love. He was in love with this man. More than that - he loved this man with the strength and longevity of 1000 suns, and now that Shin-chan wanted to hear it, he would keep his silence no longer. "I'll do one better: I love you, Shin-chan. I love you so, so much."

Shin-chan's adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "I...yes. Yes, that is acceptable. You may continue doing so."

The cuteness nearly killed him. Kazunari's poor heart could take no more, so he threw himself down onto the bed, burying his face against the side of his partner's neck. Shin-chan made vaguely disgruntled noises from the back of his throat, but it was obvious that he was not-so-secretly pleased. Yet even his poor attempt at propriety was ended when Kazunari leaned up and began kissing him again, slowly and softly, sweet enough to make him melt.

There would be time enough to seduce him later, Kazunari decided, as they lazed away the afternoon (more or less) chastely cuddling. For now, they would merely enjoy themselves, and learn the long and winding paths to each other's hearts, their home.

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…

**And that was **_**that. **_** Part 4 in the What I Do At Work series, although do not tell my boss, please. I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, you know what to do...**


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